


Carry on, because life goes on

by deadnoble



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, POV First Person, POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 40,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24877069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadnoble/pseuds/deadnoble
Summary: "This is a death game, bad things are supposed to happen. All we can do is stay strong and keep trying. That's just the way it is."In which a young man tries to be a hero. In the end, he wasn't quite sure what he'd become.
Relationships: Argo (Sword Art Online) & OC, Argo (Sword Art Online) & Shinozaki Rika | Lisbeth, Shinozaki Rika | Lisbeth & OC
Kudos: 6





	1. And so it begins

"Players, I wish you the best of luck."

Everyone was far too shocked to feel any irritation towards (the self-proclaimed) Kayaba Akihiko's mockery. Eyes wide and mouths agape, we watched with stupefied expressions as the giant hooded avatar faded away. Each of us remained paralysed, petrified, frozen in place. Confusion was a powerful monster: its many slender hands gripped our tongues and held down our bodies so that we could do nothing but quietly stare at the empty spot where the red GM avatar had been.

…

(Silence is a fragile thing)

"No… NO!"

"Don't screw with me!"

"I want out! Fucking log me out already!"

Utter pandemonium.

Angry yelling, desperate begging. Demands, denials, equally futile. Crying, screaming, cursing, laughter (?) all mixed together. Bombardments of noises, explosions of voices. Many people kept screaming, others were wallowing in their grief, their misery, far too busy to be part of this discordant chorus of negativity.

My ears hurt. My head hurt.

"I can't stay here. I have other things to do soon!"

"Are you _trying_ to kill us!?"

"Somebody, anybody, HELP ME!"

_For now let's get out of here._

I struggled through the aggravated crowd, bumping into other people left and right in the process. At one point I tripped over some idiot's foot and hit the ground face-first. Cursing internally, I got back up and kept moving. Thankfully our ability to feel pain was dampened in the virtual world. When I finally made it out of the area I was gasping for air and thoroughly exhausted.

_How do you open the main menu again? Was it the left hand or the right… ah, that worked. Is there a map function – found it._

_Okay, so this place is called the Town of Beginnings. I'm the blinking blue dot, and the exit is all the way over there._

I glanced back at the raging mob which I emerged from.

_Better get moving. There's not much I can do for them anyway._

Sword Art Online was supposed to be just another harmless means of entertainment (emphasis on 'harmless'). Instead, we all found ourselves trapped inside a death game. A clear-cut case of false advertising if there ever was one. This whole situation wasn't helped by the fact that I really had no idea how to play the game.

_I have a [Bronze Sword], a [Fur Chestplate] and five [Health Potions]. Will that be enough? It doesn't seem like much. This 100 [Cor] is probably my money but how much is it actually worth? Should I spend it? Save it? Then there's this list of [Sword Skills]. I don't quite understand how they work. I can figure things as I go but I'll need an ally. Somebody who knows what they're doing. If I'm lucky someone might let an amateur like me join them._

I was too caught up in my thoughts to hear the footsteps behind me.

(Uncharacteristically, Fate decided to toss me a bone)

"Hello there."

_What the!?_

Startled, I spun around so quickly I lost my balance. Thankfully I didn't embarrass myself by falling onto my rear end. The voice belonged to a short, adolescent girl with curly auburn hair and brown eyes. Was she smirking at my surprised reaction or was it force of habit? Either way, her smile was the first one I saw ever since the death game begin.

"Chill, I ain't gon' bite! I come in peace, I swear," she spoke with a nasal inflection. "My name's Argo, what's yours?"

"I'm Ka – wait, we're using in-game names right? Then call me LOL."

"Nice to meet ya. So, you got any friends in the game or …"

"Nope. This is literally the first conversation I've had since logging in."

"I see. You're headin' for the town exit, aren't ya? You gonna to give this death game a shot?" I nodded in reply. "Well, I hope you ain't plannin' to do this all on your own."

"Of course not. That'd be suicide for a beginner like me." The cynic in me was half-expecting Argo to drop our conversation right there and then. If she was searching for allies, there were literally thousands of players who were more skilled than me.

"Seems like ya could use some help. If only there were a charmin' young lady nearby lookin' for allies! I bet she'd be happy to form a [party] with ya," Argo said with a playful wink. Her cheerfulness was most likely a façade but the girl's ability to put up a jolly front in such trying circumstances spoke volumes about her character.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Unfortunately, charming young ladies don't normally appear out of thin air." Then again, nothing about our situation was normal. That must've been why I met her.

"Ya say that but there's one standin' right in front of you." Argo grinned as she shamelessly jabbed a thumb at herself.

"Really? I don't see her."

"Ouch. That hurts." Her half-hearted response made me smirk. "Jokes aside, what d'ya say to teamin' up? We'll beat this fucked up death game and get back to the real world!"

As nine thousand people despaired and struggled to accept their new grim reality, this teenager declared with a smile that she would achieve the impossible. It was a little premature to decide whether she was an overconfident idiot or if she had bigger balls than the rest of us combined.

"You don't think the people outside will rescue us?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Who knows?" she answered with a nonchalant shrug. "I wanna be optimistic but I'd rather prepare for the worst case scenario instead of twiddlin' my thumbs here. If we're saved, we're saved. If not, at least we'll have a head start."

_That's a sensible approach._

"So, ya in or ya out?" Argo extended an open hand towards me. It was an invitation which I was all too happy to accept.

"Like I said, I'm a complete amateur so I won't be able to do much for now. If you're willing to put up with that, I promise I'll do my best to learn and help you," I said as I shook her hand.

"Deal! Don't worry 'bout bein' a beginner, I'll teach ya everythin' ya need to know. I happen to be a beta tester so I'm pret-ty familiar with how stuff works in this game."

"Brilliant. Should I start calling you Argo _sensei_? Or maybe _senpai_?" That got a chuckle out of her.

Moments later I followed Argo to a beautiful stone church with ornate glass windows. Judging by its size, the large building could easily house a lot of people. Behind the church was an impenetrable green wall of trees and shrubs. The vegetation created a sense of seclusion which made the holy structure seem a little more special. Argo had messaged her friends to meet up in this place.

_So religion exists in SAO. Oh no, I hope we don't end up fighting some kind of evil god…_

"On second thought, it's fine if ya wanna wait outside," Argo suddenly told me.

"Huh? What?"

"We may be partners but we were also complete strangers until just now. I won't hold it against you for feelin' uncomfortable 'bout followin' me into some random buildin'."

_Ah. She must've mistaken my curiosity for apprehension._

"Nah, it's fine. As you said, we are partners; a little trust can't hurt." Argo flashed me her trademark grin and knocked loudly on the wooden door.

"There you are. I see you've brought a friend." A black-haired, bespectacled teenager who seemed to be a couple years away from adulthood answered the door. Short-sightedness didn't exist in SAO so his glasses were either for appearance's sake or functioned as some kind of stat-boosting item. Perhaps both. The young man wore a mask of calmness; if he had been feeling restless about the current state of affairs, he hid his emotions well.

"I found this stray cat and thought I'd keep it," Argo said as we entered. "Claws, this is LOL. L, meet Clausewitz."

Certainly an unusual name for a video game avatar but hey, to each their own.

"Hello. It's a shame that we're meeting under such dreadful circumstances," Claws greeted as we shook hands. His husky, low voice made him sound older than he appeared.

"Well, things can only get better the next time I see you. That's something to look forward to."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"Where's everyone else?" Argo questioned. The three of us were the only ones inside the spacious church.

"Diavel insisted on staying with his friends. Sasha's worried about some children she saw earlier, she's gone to look for them. Rhythm's with her." Claws raised a finger each time a new name was mentioned.

"I really hope Sasha ain't thinkin' 'bout bringin' those kids with us," Argo commented with a frown. "I don't know how well we can protect them, and I sure as hell don't wanna force them to fight. I hate to say this but everyone might be better off if the kiddos stay here."

The thought of a crying child torn apart by some monster made me sick to my stomach.

"I agree. However, Sasha's not one to abandon those in need – especially if the people in question are helpless children. I don't know her as well as you do but even I know that much."

"Yeah. She's too kind for her own good," Argo groaned. Claws adjusted his glasses before speaking again.

"I believe Sasha should remain here. That way, everyone wins."

"She only started playin' today. Do ya really think she can take care of herself and a bunch of kids all on her own?"

"I could help her."

_Wait. He's not coming with us?_

"You're stayin' as well?" Argo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps I may be of more value in the Town of Beginnings. Sasha aside, I'd like to do something for the other players as well. Would you be fine with this arrangement?"

"… Alright, that's fine. I know ya can do good here. But be careful, some people might give into their despair and do stupid stuff."

"I'll keep that in mind.

Give me a moment, I'll message Rhythm and tell him to join you two – "

"Actually, tell Riffy to help Diavel with his newbie friends," Argo interrupted. "L and I can manage without him."

"Are you sure?" Claws eyed her hesitantly.

"Yup. Diavel's gonna have a rough time lookin' after six newbies day in day out. Havin' Riffy around will make life much easier for that guy."

_Well, if Argo thinks that the two of us can handle things then I guess it'll be alright. Probably. Hopefully._

"That's very kind of you. Please let me know when you reach Horunka Village. Be careful out there."

"We'll be fine, I promise. Take care of Sasha." Argo and Claws shared a quick embrace. Both seemed reluctant to let go. The bespectacled young man turned to face me.

"I assure you that you are in very capable hands. Nevertheless, best of luck."

"Thanks. You too."

* * *

"Hey, Argo. Why did you reach out to me back then? Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful that you did but you already had a bunch of friends so there was no need to rely on a total stranger like me, right?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Ya were all alone and I thought you could've used some help. Well, invitin' ya worked out pretty well for me so it was a win-win decision."

Argo gave me a quick rundown of the basic game mechanics as we walked. Upon reaching the city gates we found a lone girl standing before the boundaries of the [safe zone]. The brown-haired player wore a leather breastplate over a red tunic and a dress that went past her knees. A sheathed sword hung from the female's waist. Her hands gripped the sides of her dress tightly as she silently stared at the vast plains beyond the Town of Beginnings. The poor girl was clearly very afraid.

_She's definitely not alright. I want to help her, but what if she asks to join us? Would Argo be fine with that? I don't want to offer that girl a glimpse hope just to reject –_

Argo nudged me in the side.

"Ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" she whispered.

"I won't know until you tell me," I whispered back.

"Let's go talk with that girl. If she wants to join us, we'll bring her along. Ya cool with that?"

I couldn't help but grin. "Actually, I was hoping you'd say something like that."

Argo casually strolled up to the frightened girl. "Yo! Hesitatin' to step outside? I don't blame ya, it's a sca~ry place."

"It's not like we have a choice. We can't leave until we beat this game," the girl answered sombrely. She looked like she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

"You're obviously scared so why force yourself to fight? We'll probably get rescued by the government or somebody soon enough," I asked in attempt to play devil's advocate (Argo is devious, and I was technically her advocate).

"What if help never comes? You saw how all those people acted earlier. There's no telling what they'll do if they become even more desperate. I don't want to be here when that happens." The girl's voice rose slightly as she spoke. "I tried convincing my friends to leave with me but they wouldn't listen."

Forced to choose between monsters outside the walls and a volatile mob on the inside. Truly a fine example of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Yeah, that makes sense. If you're so determined to leave this place, do ya wanna come with us?" Once more, Argo extended a helping hand to someone who sorely needed it.

"… Do you really mean that?" A ray of hope shone before her, yet the girl was cautious of basking in that warm light.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!" There it was, that unique smirk of Argo's which was at times annoying, at times comforting.

"Thank you. Thank you so much!" The girl went teary-eyed from joy. The emotional whiplash she experienced must've been exhausting.

"What's your name? I'm Argo. You can ignore this guy, he's irrelevant." The shorter girl shot me a teasing look.

"Hush, midget.

"Midget!? You so ugly, countries use yer face as nuclear deterrent! And it actually works!"

"You know what? We'll continue this later," I declared before facing our newest teammate. "Name. Yours. Gimme."

"It's Lisbeth. I'll be in your care from now on."

* * *

The lush grassland stretched out endlessly. If we weren't in a death game, I would've lay down in the shin-high grass and watch the clouds pass by.

"Okay, so fightin' in SAO is all 'bout usin' Sword Skills. These are special system-assisted attacks that do way more damage than just hitting stuff with your weapon normally," Argo explained. Liz had some combat experience since she started playing the game a couple hours ago, but I only logged into SAO moments before the forced teleportations happened so I desperately needed a tutorial.

"See that monster over there?" My mentor pointed at one of the many [Frenzy Boars] roaming around the area. The porcine monster had bluish fur, glowing red eyes and a pair of sharp tusks. As a [passive monster] it wouldn't attack us until provoked. "Unless you go for its weak spot, it'll take two or three hits to kill it. However, even the weakest Sword Skill will insta-kill that thing."

"I didn't realise that the monsters have weak spots," Liz commented.

"Now ya know. Sometimes the weaknesses are obvious, like a shinin' red orb that screams 'hit me', other times it takes a bit of luck and guesswork," Argo answered. She unsheathed the dagger strapped to her waist and expertly twirled it with her fingers. "Now where was I? Right, sword skills. I could spend the next few minutes talkin' your ears off, but – "

Liz and I flinched when she tossed her dagger into the air. "It'll be easier to just show ya."

Argo caught the descending weapon by its handle and sprinted towards the nearest Frenzy Boar. Once she got within striking distance, she drew her arm back –

_What the hell!?_

Her blade was suddenly coated in a brilliant blue light! Argo cleaved through the monster with inhuman speed. It let out an agonising screech before shattering into tiny fragments.

_Holy shit. So this is SAO …_

"And that," Argo said with a bow, "is what a Sword Skill looks like. Now it's yer turn L. Don't worry, we'll guide ya through the motions. Liz, help me out."

Activating Sword Skills was fairly straightforward: one simply had to assume the appropriate stance for the desired skill – this was known as the [Pre-Motion] – and the system would automatically take over and execute the attack. All players started off with the skills [Horizontal] and [Vertical]. As the names implied, these attacks involved a singular sideways and downwards slash respectively.

"To activate [Vertical], all you have to do is hold your sword up like you're letting it rest on your shoulder – stop stop stop! Don't go into the Pre-Motion while I'm still standing in front of you!" Liz yelped panickily.

"Oh! Sorry about that," I apologised. She hastily moved to the side.

"It's fine, no harm done. Okay, now give it a try."

…

There was a slight hum, as if the sword was singing. The dull blade shone a mesmerising blue.

Then the space before me was torn asunder.

My body froze for a split second, but I regained control as quickly as I'd lost it.

"How was it?" Liz asked me.

As if the expression on my face wasn't a loud enough answer.

"I like it. I like it a lot." For a brief moment, the euphoria from that power high pushed all thoughts of the death game out of my head.

"Glad to see you're enjoyin' it. Now, what I'm about to say is really important so listen closely. L, ya couldn't move for a moment after usin' [Vertical] just now right?" Seeing me nod, Argo continued. "That's what we call the [Post-Motion] penalty. The specific length depends on the sword skill, but it basically means that you can't mindlessly spam yer attacks; ya gotta be smart 'bout it."

"Alright, I understand."

"Good, good. Ya know, some people say that SAO doesn't really start until you get your first kill. Go ahead, it's time for your induction."

_A rite of passage huh? Sounds cool._

I drove my sword into a Frenzy Boar, obliterating it with a single strike. Interestingly, the sensation of hacking through the creature felt like a mix between cutting a thick slab of jelly with a knife, and dragging a stick through somewhat viscous liquid. For a creature made of flesh and bones, its body offered less resistance than I expected. Thankfully Kayaba Akihiko didn't deem it necessary to make this aspect of the game realistic.

Getting to the next safe zone wasn't too difficult: we simply had to stick to the dirt path leading into Horunka Village. Oh, and we also had to fend off any monsters we ran into. How could I forget that tiny detail?

Liz jumped to the side, barely avoiding the stinger of a [Gigant Wasp] that dove at her. Argo slashed its wings, causing the oversized bug to crash onto the ground. It squirmed pathetically as I brought my blade down on it.

_I think I'm starting to get the hang of this._

"Well done! That makes seven. You two holdin' up fine?" My response to Argo was a thumbs up and a wide grin. Things were going smoothly thanks to her. The shorter girl was knowledgable about the monsters' weaknesses and had the skill to exploit them. Argo was fully capable of dispatching the enemies we encountered on her own, yet she held back so that Liz and I could get some practice. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better mentor and teammate.

"I'm alright, thanks. At least all this fighting isn't as bad as I thought it'd be," Liz answered. She clearly gained confidence from our successful skirmishes; it reflected in her posture.

"Nice, nice. Hey, why don't ya try fightin' the next mob we come across without my help? It'll be good practice. Don't worry, I'll step in if necessary," Argo suggested. Liz and I looked at each other.

"I'm fine with that if you are," I told her.

"Sure, let's do it."

It was barely a minute before a [Kobold Scout] spawned before us. The pointy-eared humanoid had distinctly canine features and wielded a rusty scimitar. With a "good luck" Argo withdrew a couple paces as Liz and I prepared to engage.

_Here it comes!_

I met the snarling creature's rush head-on, barely catching its blade with my own. The monster disengaged and slashed at my torso –

_Shit!_

Failing to react, the kobold's second strike left a nasty cut on my stomach. Liz circled behind the Kobold Scout and smashed her glowing blade into its side, swatting the monster away from me with a well-timed hit. The downed creature appeared dazed for a moment but recovered to its feet with a roar.

Of course, I was too inexperienced to realise that I missed the chance to follow up Liz's attack.

"I'm going in."

"Gotcha. I'll be ready."

The brown-haired novice who was afraid of leaving the safe zone now took the lead. With a cry she slammed her shining sword into the monster's dull blade, the powerful impact causing the creature to stumble backwards. Seeing its guard broken I leapt forward. The Kobold Scout reacted but I was faster; it shrieked in agony as my blade tore through its skull, its neck, its body. With a loud _crack!_ our adversary shattered into miniscule fragments.

Liz and I exchanged triumphant high-fives while a grinning Argo applauded. Though the road ahead was long, perilous and full of hardships, it was encouraging to have a good start.

After a couple more painless skirmishes we arrived at Horunka Village. The decently-sized settlement had two inns, a weapon shop and a general store but none of the other buildings looked important. Thus, we were a little curious when Argo led us to one of the village houses. She kicked the door open and barged in as if she owned the place. Inside was a white-haired old lady who didn't seem bothered by the sudden appearance of three armed intruders in her home. There was a floating question mark over the elderly NPC's head: this indicated that we could initiate a [Quest] by speaking with her. Like countless other RPGs, completing these quests yielded us rewards in the form of Exp points, items and, occasionally, information.

Long story short, the old woman's granddaughter was seriously ill. A rare [Healing Ovule], infrequently found within a certain type of plant in the forest west of Horunka, would cure the child of her sickness. However, the plant in question was actually a species of man-eating monsters known as the [Little Nepenthes], and defeating them was necessary to extract the ovule that we needed.

As expected of a hack-and-slash RPG, even the flora could kill us ten different ways.

The old lady was explaining her predicament when the sounds of violent coughing came from the room next door. She tensed visibly. Her jaw tightened, her lips thinned into a line. A flicker of vulnerability showed in her weary eyes. I reminded myself that the elderly villager was no real person. Her defeated expression was just an imitation of human emotion; nothing more, nothing less. The NPC's uncanny realism made me strangely uneasy. I sucked in a deep breath and turned my mind to other matters. Argo began briefing us on the quest; her words were a welcome distraction.

"… Anyways, there are two types of Little Nepenthes. The ones with a flower bloomin' on their heads are the ones we need to kill. Each flower-bearin' Nepenthes has a low chance of droppin' the quest item so get ready to kill lots and lots and lots of 'em. Then there are those with a big round fruit on top of 'em. Do NOT even think 'bout fightin' those because they are friggin' traps. Well, it's a good thin' that they're pretty rare."

* * *

For a plant, those things sure packed a mean punch.

The Little Nepenthes was essentially a pitcher plant with limbs. It had multiple thick, mobile roots for legs and two arm-like vines protruding from its sides. A sharp leaf the size of a shovel head was at the end of each vine. At the centre of its bloated body was a mouth that stretched across the length of its bulbous body. These ugly creatures were as large as a pony and could also spit acid.

Grunting, I parried the blade-like leaf with my sword. Argo slipped behind the (not so) Little Nepenthes and chopped off its vines, literally disarming it. Lisbeth rushed forward to deal the finishing blow –

"Agh!" The Nepenthes' acid hit her square on the chest, knocking her to the ground. I killed the creature by plunging my sword into its body.

"Sorry, I got careless. I thought I was quick enough," Liz apologised as Argo helped her up.

"Happens to the best of us. You two alright? Not too tired?"

"I'm almost out of potions. Also my sword's durability is getting low," I answered. We had actually completed the old lady's quest by that point but decided to stay and grind some more.

"Same. And my armour's only good for a couple more hits," Liz added.

"Then let's start headin' back, we've done more than enough for today. Good job guys!" Argo told us cheerfully. Although the sun had already set, visibility wasn't an issue since most of Aincrad's floors were designed in such a way that some form of light source was readily available at night.

_Hmm? Suddenly there's this strong fruity scent…_

"What's that smell – "

" _Ssh_! Be quiet. Stay still." The urgency in Argo's voice was unmistakable. Liz and I froze in place despite the lack of explanation.

_What's going on!?_

We heard the crunching of twigs and dry leaves. Something was moving through the forest.

Many somethings were moving through the forest.

Part of me didn't dare to look. Fearfully, I followed Argo's gaze and turned my head to find an enormous swarm of Nepenthes crawling in unison towards the same direction. The ravenous man-eaters moved with surprising speed; the smell of fruit must've invigorated them. I tried counting the cluster of plant monsters but gave up at sixteen. Whatever the actual number was, it was enough to make anyone lose the will to fight.

With a finger to her lips, Argo eyed the monster horde warily. Liz clamped a hand over her mouth. The blind creatures were sensitive to smell, sound and motion. Sudden movements risked alerting them to our presence; our best option was to wait it out and hope for the best. It was a stroke of luck that we weren't directly on the monsters' path.

A bead of sweat slid down my face. The grip on my blade tightened.

(What good would my rusty sword do?)

Would the Nepenthes suddenly turn our way and rush us?

What if some random monster spawn behind us and blow our cover?

…

We didn't dare make a sound, make a move. When the last Nepenthes was finally out of sight, the three of us collectively exhaled in relief.

"Was that – "

"Yup. Someone must've attacked a fruit-bearin' Nepenthes," Argo answered me gravely.

And that someone was likely no longer with us.

"Let's go. It's dangerous here," Argo said as she beckoned us to follow.

_Was there something we could've done?_

Admittedly it was arrogant for a dependent beginner like me to think of saving others. Yet, not intervening as a pack of monsters moved to kill a fellow human just felt plain wrong.

"… Not doin' anythin' was the right decision. We can't save everybody. Yeah, we were lucky to have gotten outta that alive." Those words belonged to the kind, compassionate girl who happily aided two strangers. Were they directed at us, or at herself?

"Maybe whoever set off that trap managed to escape," Liz suggested.

"Maybe. I hope so." Argo didn't sound convinced.

We returned to Horunka safely. The 'thankful' old woman showered us with praise and rewarded us handsomely: the [Anneal Blade] I received was a significant upgrade over my starting weapon. Argo mentioned that this new weapon could last us all the way until Floor 3, though this meant that my Bronze Sword was no longer needed.

Going once, going twice… sold to the bald NPC merchant for 15 Cor!

Walking out of the weapon store with a little more cash in my pockets, I locked eyes with Liz who happened to be sitting on a nearby bench. She scooted over to make space for me.

"How're you holding up? It's been a crazy day," I asked her.

"I'm fine, thanks. I think I'm getting used to the idea of living in this world. What about you? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. When the death game started I didn't know a single person in SAO but now I've got two friends with me. I'm already in a better place than most people."

"Glad to hear that. Originally I was in a party with three other players but they all decided to wait things out in the Town of Beginnings so we split up."

"Do you resent them for not coming with you? Well, resent might be too strong a word. You know what I mean."

"They did what they thought was best for them. I won't hold a grudge over a difference in opinion."

"Were they people you knew back in the real world or … "

"No, I only met them today. I wish them the best but their well-being isn't my business anymore."

"I see." I leaned back and gazed at the marvellous star-filled sky. Once, I'd longed to share the grandeur of a moonlit Aincrad with my loved ones.

"How did you meet Argo?" Liz asked.

"It was a coincidence. She found me after the death game started and invited me to join her, pretty much the same way she invited you."

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear!" All of a sudden the girl in question was behind us talking loudly into our ears. Her mischievous little ambush made Liz and I jump.

"Goddamn – can you not pop out of nowhere like a frigging jack-in-the-box!?" I protested exasperatedly.

"But your surprised reactions are so fun ~ " Argo said a victorious smirk. The impish girl was clearly a fan of such antics. "What're ya two doin' here? Ya flirtin'?"

"No." "Yup."

The brown-haired girl stared at me with a raised brow.

"C'mon Liz, work with me here."

"I can't lie to Argo. She saved my life." Hearing this, the shorter girl affectionately hugged her from behind.

"I was part of that too you know. Doesn't that merit a lie for me?" I asked jokingly.

"Hey, I've got somethin' for ya two. Consider it a gift," Argo told us as she produced two booklets titled [SAO Strategy Guide] from her inventory. The words 'by Argo' could be seen on the bottom corner of the cover pages. "This should cover all of the game's basics. Give it a good long read."

"This is great! The descriptions are clear and concise, and there are even diagrams showing how to use Sword Skills correctly! Did you make all of this by yourself?" I asked Argo excitedly. The more I interacted with the girl, the more my opinion of her went up.

"It was a two-man job. I'm quite happy with how it turned out."

"Yeah, you should be! This is impressive," Liz remarked. "Thanks Argo, this'll be really useful."

"Ahaha, praise me more ~ "

_There are thousands of people in this game and I have the insane luck of running into Argo. I must've done something really good in my past life because I should not be this lucky._

"I'm blessed to have met you two. I wasn't sure if I'd even make it past today; now I can go to sleep confident about my chances tomorrow," Liz spoke with a sincere smile. "Seriously, thank you so much."

"Happy to be of service," Argo said with a grin.

"It's been a long day, I'm going to turn in." Liz stood up and stretched. "Good night! It'd be amazing if we're back in the real world when we wake up."

"Good night, sleep tight! Hope the bed bugs don't bite ~" Argo sang cheerfully.

"But if they do then take your shoe and beat them till they're black and blue!" I added.

While being rescued was a 'possibility', that particular outcome was far too unlikely to be anything but wishful thinking. Then again, what was the harm in dreaming a little while lying in bed and drifting off to sleep?

* * *

** Omake: Argo's strategy guide **

Sakamoto Shuichi was in a good mood. His tutoring session went exceedingly well; rarely did his tutees – a pair of elementary school students – display such commendable focus during their lessons. This was not to imply that they were particularly lazy or inattentive individuals but eleven year olds typically displayed limited patience when it came to studying.

Now that he finally had some free time, Shuichi was keen to engross himself in the new book he received for his birthday. Upon returning home he practically bolted to his room, removed Miyamoto Musashi's _The Book of Five Rings_ from his shelf, sat on the side of his bed and opened the renowned treatise –

A hand grasped his ankle. The young man sprang up screaming, accidentally dropping his book in the process.

"What the fuck!?"

His answer came in the form of annoyingly familiar laughter.

"For fuck's sake Tomo! Was that necessary!?" Shuichi yelled exasperatedly as he bent to pick his book. Fortunately none of the pages were creased. His childhood friend cackled underneath his bed. "How did you even get in here? Nobody was in the house."

"Your mom let me in. I got here just as she was about to leave – I think that was about half an hour ago? It was pretty good timin'."

"Were you down there the whole time?" Shuichi asked in disbelief. As far as he remembered, Hosaka Tomo always been a prankster. He would've admired the lengths she went for her mischief if he weren't so often the target of her pranks.

"Yup! Would've been a borin' wait if I didn't have my phone. Ya know, in anime male characters typically hide their stash under their beds. Too bad you've got nothin' down here," Tomo said as she crawled out from underneath the bed and dusted herself. "Oh hey! That's the book I got ya for your birthday."

"You're lucky I cleaned under there yesterday. Can I get you a drink?"

"Oolong tea please, thanks!" When Shuichi returned to his room with the requested drink, as well as a bottle of soda for himself and a packet of crisps, he noticed that Tomo had placed a stack of papers on his desk.

"Aren't these the notes you made during the beta test?" Shuichi asked as he examined the pieces of paper.

"Yup. It's a waste to just leave all of this lyin' around so why don't we do somethin' useful with them? I was thinkin', we could make some kind of in-game strategy guide usin' the information I gathered. Since there's no official SAO tutorial, I'm sure new players like Sasha would appreciate havin' a guidebook to teach them the basics," Tomo suggested.

"It's not a bad idea. With that said, how many copies of this strategy guide are you planning to produce? It'll take a lot of time to make multiple copies, especially because these guidebooks will have to be done by hand."

"Actually, major cities like the Town of Beginnin's have [publishin' houses] so all we really need to do is create one copy ourselves and then pay the NPCs to mass-produce for us. And it's dirt cheap. Hurray for bulk-buyin'."

"Oh. That's interesting, I wasn't aware of that. Then there's no problem. Let's start by figuring out the contents of this strategy guide."

* * *

On the official launch day of SAO Tomo and Shuichi logged into the game together. Unlike everyone else who rushed out of the Town of Beginnings to slay monsters and search for quests, the two locked themselves in an inn room to work on their strategy guide.

"Dude, what was your in-game name again?" Tomo questioned her friend. With crisp, skilful strokes she drew a miniature figure wielding a spear. Underneath the figure were the words '[Sonic Jab] pre-motion'.

"Did you forget? What happened to that excellent memory you were so proud of?"

"No, no, I do remember it. Heck, I can even spell it out in English if ya want. I just don't know how to pronounce it."

"It's 'Clausewitz'."

"Ugh, that's such a mouthful. Imma just call ya 'Claws' instead."

"That's not even the right pronunciation – fine, whatever."

"Couldn't ya have chosen somethin' more simple like my name? Ain't nobody's gonna mispronounce 'Argo'."

"Individuality is important."

"If ya say so. There, I'm done with the illustrations. Go ahead and double-check everythin'," Argo said as she handed him the original copy of the strategy guide. "Once you're done we'll take that to the publishin' house and then we can finally start killin' stuff."

Initially the duo planned to produce only a few copies of the guidebooks to share among their friends. However, after the death game began, they recognised that the information they compiled could save lives. And so they resolved to produce and distribute as many copies of the strategy guide as feasible, an endeavour greatly aided by low printing costs and the existence of equally inexpensive NPC courier services.

Their hard work ended up helping many people, even if those players did not always appreciate their efforts. Or their existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is basically an excuse to give the SAO supporting cast more screen time. With that said, I don't intend to neglect Kirito and Asuna at all.
> 
> Shipping is fun but for now I'm more interested in exploring platonic relationships. I'll consider inserting romantic elements later on, but I'd like to get to know my characters a little better first.
> 
> On a side note, this isn't a self-insert fic. At least I'm not trying to write one.
> 
> Have a good day! Or whatever's left of it


	2. Argo and Lisbeth

Party Status

LOL: lv.2, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Lisbeth: lv.2, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Argo: lv.3, equipped with [Sharp Dagger]

* * *

_So it wasn't a bad dream after all. How disappointing._

I slept soundly despite everything that happened yesterday, probably because of the overwhelming exhaustion.

_Are you guys holding up fine? I'm sorry that I can't be there for you. Things must be pretty bad in the real world. I swear I'll be back as soon as I can so please, wait for me._

… _Let's focus on the things I can do. That includes greeting Argo and Lisbeth with a smile. Emotions are contagious; I'll have to stay optimistic for their sakes._

The girls shared the room next to mine. I sent Argo a message saying that I'd meet them in the dining area downstairs.

Even in the virtual world eating was an indispensable activity. Starvation was an extremely unpleasant sensation, obviously, but fighting on an empty stomach was outright dangerous. A player who hadn't eaten for extended periods of time would be afflicted by various [debuffs] and gradually lose HP, though death by starvation wasn't a thing since hunger would never bring a player's HP below 1. At least the absence of a 'nutrition system' meant we could eat whatever we pleased.

(I once spent a whole week in Aincrad eating nothing but chocolate. Then I got sick of it)

"Good morning! Did you guys sleep well?" I greeted my friends as they joined me at my table.

"Nope. Liz's loud snorin' kept me up the whole night," Argo replied with a mischievous grin.

"Wha – hey! I don't snore. Don't make stuff up."

"If ya say so ~ "

It was nice to see them acting lively as opposed to stressing over the death game.

"Hey, Argo. What was the highest floor you got to during the beta test?" I asked between spoonfuls of bland oatmeal.

"We reached the 10th Floor just before the beta test ended. A lot of people were takin' it easy and stopped around Floor 6 but my friends and I were obsessed with goin' as far as we could. At that point, if we weren't playin' the game then we were makin' plans for the next time we logged in. Those were some fun times."

"If it took you guys six weeks to clear seven or eight floors, then beating all 100 floors would take approximately – "

"I'mma stop ya right there Liz," Argo interrupted. "It's a completely different situation now that SAO's a death game. People are gonna be way more careful this time so it'll probably take longer to clear each floor. Also, beatin' the game will be much harder if ya factor in stuff like burnout and emotional distress. Sorry, but that's just how things are right now."

_Yeah, I was worried about that._

"Oh. I guess you're right," Liz said dejectedly.

"Look, you'll go crazy if ya keep thinkin' 'bout beatin' all 100 Floors. Set your sights lower, take it one day at a time." Liz mulled over Argo's words for a bit.

"That's sound advice. I'll try to do that."

"Argo, I've got a question. You've fought against some of the Floor Bosses before, how bad were they?" I asked.

"Hmm… they're alright if you're high-levelled enough but gettin' through the whole fight without losin' anyone is gonna be challengin'. We can worry 'bout that bridge when we cross it."

"Were any of them particularly difficult?"

"The 9th Floor Boss was pretty rough but I'm sure we can do better this time around now that we know how that… thing works. I lost an arm to the 7th Floor Boss, although that only happened because my friend was bein' an ass a tripped me up. Stupid Kii-bou…" Argo mumbled and took a swig of her drink.

"Wait, dismemberment is a thing in this game?" An alarmed Liz asked.

"Yup. Think of it as a rare debuff that only happens when yer fightin' certain bosses. Also ya can grow back a lost limb if ya use a [Healin' Crystal]."

_Yuck! That sounds disgusting._

Argo chuckled upon seeing our uneasy expressions. "Relax! It ain't as gory as ya think. I'm pretty squeamish, and I wasn't scared at all when it happened to me."

* * *

Medai Hamlet was an idyllic rural settlement with just a handful of dwellers. There was an apothecary and a blacksmith but no inn; though the hamlet made for a good resting spot, it was not an ideal place to spend the evening. A creek ran adjacent to the tiny cluster of houses. Argo suggested dipping our feet in the water later.

Apparently the wolf monsters in this area were particularly active this time of the year. Thus, the desperate settles begged us to eliminate the lupine threat and promised a reward for our success. It was pretty clichéd, as RPGs go, but I wasn't going to complain about a quest being straightforward.

"Be wary, adventurers, for a [Dire Wolf] never hunts alone. Sometimes the wolves hunt in packs of three, sometimes in packs of five. They are cunning, vicious beasts with black fur and crimson eyes. Do not take them lightly." The quest-giver NPC, a middle-aged man wearing simple clothes, gestured wildly as he spoke. "Most of all, beware the pack leaders. Yes, the [Alpha Dire Wolves] are twice as deadly as their lackeys. And twice as large! Well then, brave adventurers, I shall be praying for yer safety. May we meet again."

Despite the villager's warning, the Dire Wolves really weren't much of a challenge. Their attack patterns were fairly predictable, their stats were mediocre, and (thankfully) they weren't capable of group tactics. The only problem was their numbers but even then there were ways to tip the scales in our favour.

"Betcha 50 Cor that I won't miss."

"Nope, no deal," Liz replied. Argo flashed her a grin then turned her focus to the trio of wolves that spawned near us. She cocked her arm back and took aim, a [throwing pick] sandwiched between her thumb and index fingers. Although this slender weapon had a low damage output, it was a useful combat tool as it drew any enemies it struck towards the user. Reacting to the opponent was one thing; controlling their behaviour was far more effective.

The Dire Wolf howled in pain as the sharp metal sank into its flesh. Yapping angrily, it bolted for Argo, intent on tearing her into pieces –

Liz and I skewered the beast with our blades. It was too focused on Argo to react to our attacks, and so paid the price with its life. The second Dire Wolf charged at us. Argo's dagger flew through the air, nailing it on the head. She ran to the stunned creature and retrieved her dagger, only to drive it deeper into the wolf's skull. Its remaining HP disappeared in an instant.

"Heads up! Alpha's comin'!" Argo warned. She watched as we moved to engage the ferocious pack leader. Liz grunted as she deflected the large wolf's claws. Barely keeping her balance, she slashed the monster across its face.

"Switch!" She yelled. I stepped forward and swung my shining blade at the alpha's neck.

_Shit! Too shallow!_

Misjudging my attack's range, what I intended to be a decisive blow failed to do much damage. The furious alpha wolf sank its teeth into my shoulder, flinging me away with a mighty swing of its head. Liz seized the chance to plunge her sword into the creature's side. It thrashed around wildly but she held onto the blade with all her strength. I recovered, darted towards the struggling monster and hacked it to death.

_Ah shit, here we go again._

I reluctantly reached for the Health Potion in my belt pouch. The blood-red concoction was, without a doubt, one of the vilest things I had the displeasure of tasting.

"No point in delaying the inevitable. Procrastinating will only make it worse," Liz advised with a sympathetic smile. Sighing, I uncorked the potion flask, raised it towards the brown-haired girl as a quick toast and downed the intensely bitter medicine.

 **_E_ ** _# **W** &% **W** * **!**_

"Blegh! I hate this thing! Somehow the stuff that's supposed to be good for you always tastes like crap."

"Ya can think of it as extra incentive to not get hurt. Anyways, that's the eighth alpha wolf we killed. Just two more to go and we'll be done with this annoyin' quest," Argo mumbled.

"What's so bad about this quest? It's simple and pretty easy," Liz asked her.

"I hate dogs. Hate 'em with a burnin' passion. And wolves are just bigger, hairier dogs with sharper teeth."

"Okay, that's unfair. Admittedly they're both _canis lupus_ but dogs are cute and you can cuddle with them while wolves will gobble you up." Argo responded by childishly sticking her tongue at me.

"I think I'm fine with most animals but I can't stand lizards. Basically, I'm afraid that one day some house gecko will climb into my mouth while I'm asleep," Liz told us with a grimace.

_No. Just no._

"Thanks for adding to my list of irrational fears," I deadpanned. Argo mimicked throwing up. "As for me, I hate spiders. Those things should just fuck off to the far ends of the universe."

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news," Argo said, "but there are plen-ty of humongous spiders on Floor 3."

"Well. Fuck my life."

Eventually we returned to Medai and claimed our reward from the very 'grateful' NPC. Unanimously agreeing to a short break, the three of us soaked our feet in the stream next to the hamlet while we chatted and ate lunch. We were within the boundaries of the safe zone; the worst that could happen would be some freshwater fish mistaking our wiggling toes for fat, juicy worms.

For a death game it was a remarkably ordinary moment.

We soon set out for the next town. There were some battles here and there but those were nothing to write home about. Our party had made more than half the journey when we came across an unknown player who was not too far away from us. I wasn't close enough to make out their appearance, though judging by height this person was likely male. He (?) wore a helmet and wielded a longsword.

The stranger was also surrounded by four wolves. With little room for movement and no openings to escape, it was a truly desperate situation.

Dagger in hand, Argo immediately rushed forward. We ran after her.

One of the monsters lunged but the stranger slew the beast with a powerful slash. Three adversaries – an Alpha Dire Wolf and its two minions – remained. The alpha's mouth opened wide, exposing its sharp teeth for the world to see. Due to the Post-Motion penalty, the surrounded player was completely defenceless.

Argo stopped and drew her arm back. She had a clear shot.

Like a steel trap, the alpha wolf's jaws clamped shut. The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the area. If this were the real world, there would be a headless corpse lying in a pool of blood. But, without a doubt, there was one more dead body on a hospital bed somewhere in Japan.

Argo froze. Her dagger fell to the ground.

Liz went pale. A horrified whisper escaped from her lips.

I stared ahead numbly. For a brief moment I lost the ability to think.

_W-we need t-t-to g-get out of h-here. N-now!_

"Liz!" I squeezed the brown-haired girl's shoulder. "Breathe. Take a deep breath and count to three."

Staying calm was an impossible task. My emotions must've slipped through the cracks of my façade and showed in my voice, on my face. Nevertheless, my partner inhaled shakily.

"O-one…t-t-two…" Liz's voice was raspy. The poor girl was hyperventilating.

_S-she's calmed d-down a little. Good. Now f-for Argo…_

Said girl was a few paces ahead of us. I thought I saw her trembling; it was hard to tell since she wore a cloak. I reached out to her –

A bloodcurdling howl. My blood ran cold.

_Shit! They spotted us!?_

"Liz, stay back!" I yelled as I drew my blade. She was white as a sheet. I couldn't risk her fighting in that condition. "Argo, we have to fight! Are you – "

**"Perfect."**

Such sorrowful rage.

Argo's growl caught me off guard. It was heart-wrenching to see my friend consumed in anger. No human should be made to feel like that, least of all her.

Steeling myself, I zeroed in on the Dire Wolf that was running towards me. It pounced just as my blade shone blue.

_Now!_

My sword cleaved through the monster and it shattered into fragments. Argo was facing down the pack leader; the other Dire Wolf had already been dealt with. I thought about assisting her but decided that Liz was the one who really needed help.

Argo leapt back, effortlessly avoiding the alpha's razor-sharp teeth –

An agonised roar rang out. The large beast jerked its head back as it staggered. Argo had nailed the monster in its eyes with her throwing picks. Blinded, the alpha wolf swiped at her clumsily. She easily dodged its claws and moved to the creature's side. Holding her dagger in reverse grip Argo slashed upwards. The powerful attack lifted the Alpha Dire Wolf off the ground; it landed awkwardly on its fours.

Two lightning-fast cuts. The alpha's life was forfeit.

The savage thrashing wasn't enough to quench her fury. Yet, Argo's anger practically evaporated upon taking in our appearances; there was a flash of surprise before her countenance morphed from shock to shame. Liz, pale and shaken, was leaning onto me for support. I gently rubbed her arm while gripping my sword. I imagine I was wearing quite a pitiful expression.

" … There's a safe zone nearby. Come with me." Argo's voice had an uncharacteristic fragility to it. Wordlessly Liz and I followed her. I noticed that my hands were still shaking.

The hunter NPC didn't bat an eye when we barged into his house. His log cabin was a small resting place, a decent enough refuge for the weary, the lost and the vexed. The three of us stood in uncomfortable silence.

_I don't know what to say. Maybe I should wait for them to open up. They'll talk when they're ready to._

"I'm sorry." "I'm sorry."

The two girls apologised at the same time. There was an awkward pause before Argo, wearing an expression of immense guilt, continued to speak.

"I completely neglected you two back there. I should've prioritised our safety but I didn't even so much as look at you guys. You could've been in danger and I wouldn't have known. As a friend and teammate I fucked up. Badly. Can you forgive me?" Argo struggled to maintain eye contact. It didn't matter that Liz and I were unharmed; to her, she had failed to fulfil her responsibility towards her party members and that was all that mattered.

"I'm the one who should apologise. I was completely useless when the wolves attacked. Even though we were all in shock, I was the only one who didn't do anything," Liz responded despondently.

"Don't say that. You just saw a person get – you just saw somethin' no one should ever have to see. Anyone would've panicked."

"Argo's right. You were a victim too, you shouldn't feel ashamed about being afraid," I added. "As for you Argo, of course we forgive you. Right, Liz?"

"Yes, I agree. Plus you protected us by taking out most of the wolves so if anything we should be thanking you."

"My thoughts exactly. Everybody makes mistakes, don't beat yourself up too much. Just be more careful next time."

"… Man, I suck. I'm the SAO veteran and the oldest of the group but I'm the one who needs consolin'," Argo remarked sadly. She let out a defeated sigh. "Liz, can you do me a favour? Turn around for a bit."

The taller girl did as requested. Argo walked over and buried her face into Liz's back, her hands gripping the brown-haired girl's top.

"… I really wanted to save that person."

"I know," Liz replied solemnly.

"Fuck. If I only I were faster…!"

"It wasn't your fault. You tried your best."

In just two days quite a few things had already gone wrong for Argo. She was powerless to stop the Nepenthes horde last night; all she could do was watch them pass by. She easily defeated the wolf pack earlier yet failed to intervene in time. Another day, another death, another failure to make a difference. To top it all off, in her fit of rage Argo had forgotten about her party's safety. Her actions led to no undesirable consequences, nor did anyone blame her for what she did but the girl couldn't forgive herself for her negligence.

She must've felt so frustratingly useless.

I could hear my mentor's soft sobbing. Clearly she didn't want to be seen in her current state so I turned around and looked out the window.

_This is not the floating castle I dreamed of. Aincrad was supposed to be a place where people could be happy._

_I swear, I will tear down this cheap imitation._

Despite everything, we managed to reach the next town safely.

Dinner was relatively quiet that evening. Some half-hearted conversation was thrown around but we eventually settled into a tired silence. Later I dropped by the girls' room with two mugs of warm milk and a plate of cookies to discuss our plans for the next day. Argo quickly grabbed one of the cups and a handful of treats. Liz picked up one of the cookies and regarded it with faux suspicion.

"This feels like a bribe. Spit it out, what do you want from us?"

"I wanted your brains, but there's not much material there so I'll settle for your souls."

"Nah. You'll need at least another plate of cookies for that," Liz said between bites.

"Hey, speak for yourself. My soul is worth way more than that," Argo chimed in.

_I guess they're feeling better if they're in the mood for banter. That's good._

Argo gave us a quick rundown on our intended route tomorrow, including brief comments on the creatures we would come across. Apparently the bee monsters were capable of inflicting the [poisoned] status effect but that was nothing an antidote couldn't take care of.

"Hey." Argo took a deep breath and continued speaking. "There were some rough moments today but we pulled through. Ya'll did really well to get this far. I can't guarantee that tomorrow will be any better but let's continue doin' our best, yeah?"

"That goes without saying. Good night, I'll see you tomorrow," I said with a wave.

"Good night." (x2)

Lying in bed, I couldn’t help but replay the afternoon’s events in my mind. I recalled the stranger’s demise. Argo’s frustration. Liz’s panic.

_So much for saving people trapped in the game._

This was a world where lives could be lost in the blink of an eye. How much could someone like me even hope to accomplish here?

_I’ve grossly overestimated my ability to make a difference. I must align my ambitions with my limitations. All this time I’ve wanted to help the SAO players but I’ve never really thought about it in practical terms. What am I even referring to when I tell myself to focus on the things I can do?_

_I don’t know anything, do I?_

_Let’s see if I can remedy that. I’ll learn as much as I can about this world._ _Tomorrow, I’ll give it my all as well._

* * *

The third day was relatively uneventful which was all I could ask for. It appeared that my friends had more or less gotten over yesterday's events. We might've been slightly overcautious at the beginning but we quickly got back into rhythm. The only deaths we'd witnessed that day were the ones we were responsible for (i.e. monster kills). Thoroughly exhausted from a long day of combat, Liz and I were quite keen to rest. Argo had other plans.

"Sparring?"

"Yup! PVP is the best way to train," Argo told us. Apparently she still had energy to spare.

"Isn't it kind of dangerous to fight each other in a death game?" Liz pointed out.

"Not if ya do it inside a safe zone. Trust me, sparrin' will be great practice for stuff down the road."

_Practice for what? It's not like we'll be fighting other players anytime soon – wait, that's not true. It's entirely possible that some desperate person might end up attacking us._

"Sure, it sounds fun. Let's do it," I said.

"Aren't ya enthusiastic! _Sensei_ is so very proud ~" Argo commented with a smirk.

"It's not every day that I get an excuse to beat you up."

"Why so bloodthirsty? What did I ever do to you?"

"I'm still salty that you put salt in my coffee this morning. Pun fully intended. And you," I jabbed a finger at Liz, "are a traitor for not saying anything, I thought we were friends?"

"I'm soooo sorry. I really wanted to tell you but Argo threatened me to stay silent. You have to believe me!" The brown-haired girl couldn't have sounded any more unconvincing. "Weren't we talking about sparring? Well, I'm down for anything that'll improve our chances. When do we start?"

"Right now. Get your lazy butts outside."

"Does the word 'fatigue' not mean anything to you?" Liz grumbled while peeling herself off the couch in her inn room.

"Argo must be some kind of new alien creature. From now on her species is officially known as _hobbitus hyperactivus_."

"Too much talkin', too little movin'. C'mon!"

Thus Liz and I found ourselves standing side by side with our weapons drawn. Standing opposite us was Argo, armed with her dagger and a confident grin.

"Gimme your best shot! I'll take this seriously so don't hold back."

_Okay. I'll treat her as a normal monster then._

I ran at Argo and swung as hard as I could. Well, I tried to. She jerked forward without warning and floored me with a kick to the solar plexus. I lay on the ground gasping for air.

A streak of blue light shot across my field of vision. Liz lunged and stabbed her shining blade at Argo but the swift assault was avoided. When she came to a stop, the blunt side of Argo's dagger pressed against her neck. My partner flinched at the touch of cold steel.

"The timin' of your [Sonic Leap] was pretty good. Next time try getting a bit closer before usin' it," Argo advised. She then sent Liz sprawling with a strike to the back.

Despite our best efforts we failed to land a single hit on her. Argo wasn't that much faster than us but she read our movements perfectly and countered whatever we threw her way. Though Liz and I had battled a variety of monsters over the last few days, fighting a skilful player was an entirely different experience.

My sword glowed blue as I slashed at Argo. I didn't expect such a simple attack to connect but it was the best chance I had –

Argo's dagger flew out of her hand and landed nearby with a loud clang.

_Wait, that worked!? Alright!_

***Whack!***

She dropped me with a punch to the jaw. Dazed by the well-aimed blow, I barely put up any resistance as she snatched my sword away.

"Never let your guard down. Just because ya disarm someone doesn't mean the fight's over," Argo told me. Clearly she let me disarm her just to make a point.

_… Wise words to live by!_

With both hands I grabbed onto Argo's leg with all my might. "Liz! Now!"

_Gah –_

Something stabbed through my arms. My hold loosened and Argo freed herself.

_Shit!_

Pinned down by my own weapon, I could only watch as Argo evaded Liz's blade before she knocked her attacker down.

"Okay, let's stop here," Argo said. She pulled my sword out of the ground, freeing me from my incapacitated state and helped me to my feet.

"Dammit! We were so close!" Liz cried out in frustration as she sheathed her weapon.

"Don't be upset, you two actually did really well. Let's take a moment to think 'bout what lessons we can learn from our sparrin' session. By the way, sorry for bein' a bit rough on ya'll just now. I wanted to give ya an idea of how different PVP can be from fightin' mobs."

"Don't worry about it. But if you really want to apologise, buy us dinner," Liz told her with a smirk.

"Heh, sure. You guys more than deserve it."

* * *

"Has it only been five days? It feels like we've known each other for much longer," Liz told me. She lay on her bed as she sorted out her inventory. I was reading the strategy guide Argo gifted me. The manual was an invaluable source of information and I studied it closely everyday. Our mentor had stepped out to take care of some business.

"Yeah, I feel the same way. Maybe it's because you two are the only real human contact I've had over the last few days."

"Huh. Now that you mention it … Wow. that's weird."

Argo and Lisbeth were an absolute joy to be around. On the battlefield they were capable fighters; off the battlefield they were fun travelling companions. The pessimist in me was cautious about taking them for granted. Nothing lasts forever, especially when you factor in the unpredictable circumstances of a death game. Regardless, I hoped that our partnership would continue until the very end.

"I'm back!" Argo kicked the door open and slammed it behind her. "Ya know, I've been thinkin' – "

"Don't hurt yourself." Argo flipped the bird at me. She walked over to Liz who was still sprawled out on the bed and literally rolled her over – the other girl let out a yelp – to make space for herself.

"As I was sayin', I think we should split up."

_What. Wait what._

The unexpected words made Liz sit up in alarm.

"Temporarily!" Argo hastily added. "I'm not tryin' to disband our party or anythin'. Listen, I think it's a good idea for ya guys to try teamin' up with other people. It'll be a good learnin' experience. Ya never know, someday I might not be around for whatever reason and you'll have to make do without me."

"Oh! I see, that makes sense. For a second I misunderstood what you meant by splitting up," Liz commented. The relief was apparent on her face; I'm sure my expression mirrored hers.

"Me too! Geez, you really need to pay more attention to your wording," I admonished the shorter girl.

"Hehe, sorry 'bout that. So, what do ya think?" We readily agreed with her suggestion. "Sweet. Take a look at your maps. Right now we're in Splitura Village, the halfway point between the Town of Beginnings and the Floor 1 Labyrinth. As ya can see, the road ahead splits into two. I'll take the left path through Merrona Village, you two take the right one through Malonna Village. Just so ya know, there ain't much difference between the left and right roads; if anythin' the right one's the scenic route. There, aren't I considerate?"

"I'm surprised you know that that word means." Argo stuck her tongue at Liz.

"Meanie. Anyways, the two paths join together at Merhjia Town. I'll meet ya there. Dependin' on who ya form a party with, it'll probably take somethin' like three or four days to get there. Ya cool with that?"

"Yup." "No problem."

_I'm a bit nervous about not having Argo around but it's true that we can't keep depending on her forever. Well, she wouldn't have suggested this if she thought we couldn't manage without her. Still, it'd be great if we can team up with someone good… bah, no point thinking about stuff like that. Tomorrow's problems are for tomorrow._

"It's a bit too early to call it a day so why don't we have a quick spar outside?" Argo suggested.

"Are you that keen to beat us up? What kind of sadist are you?" Despite her words Liz prepared herself for combat.

"I won't be able to kick your asses for a while so I thought I'd get my fill tonight. Come on come on, let's go ~ "

* * *

** Omake: Horunka Forest, another perspective **

He sliced through the Nepenthes' stalk, obliterating the monster with a precise strike. Kirito wiped the sweat off his brow. Despite all the fighting he'd done, a flower-bearing Nepenthes had yet to appear.

_I hope Klein and his friends are alright. Maybe I should message him when I'm done here …_

The sound of soft applause caught his attention. Kirito spun around to see a squinty-eyed teenager who was more or less his age. The male's choice of weapon and armour coincided with the black-haired swordsman's.

"H-hey! You're here for the [Healing Ovule] quest as well, right? Do you want to, maybe, team up?" The stranger asked timidly. In a way, there was something… comforting (?) about his awkwardness. Perhaps it was because it made Kirito perceive the boy as someone who was similar to himself. "D-don't you think it'll be more efficient with two people?"

"Hmm…" Kirito took a while to think over the proposal. "Sure, but only if we agree that the first Healing Ovule we get goes to me."

"That's fine, you were here first. What's your name? I'm Coper."

"I'm Kirito."

"Kirito?" Coper had a contemplative as he repeated the name. "I swear I've heard that somewhere… whatever. Let's do this."

Coper proved to be an adept enough fighter. Though their teamwork was far from flawless, at the very least the boy was an asset to his survival. Kirito briefly toyed with the possibility of forming a long-lasting partnership with his new ally. Eventually a flower-bearing Nepenthes appeared before them. Kirito was the one who dealt the finishing blow; with a satisfied smile, he watched as the hideous plant creature shattered into pieces.

The familiar sound of a Sword Skill being activated came from behind. Kirito instinctively leapt forward; while in mid-air, he turned to see Coper's blade cut through the place he once stood.

"Tch. So close," Coper remarked his closely. Evidently, his earlier meekness was nothing but an act.

"Why!?" Even if he hadn't fully trusted Coper, the betrayal still came as a shock to Kirito.

"It's nothing personal. Just blame your shitty luck!" Coper yelled. Seeing his ex-teammate charge up another Sword Skill, Kirito quickly countered with his own.

***Clang!***

The two attacks cancelled out each other, leaving both combatants in a brief blade lock before they disengaged and jumped back. Kirito quickly went for an overhead strike. Caught off guard by his opponent's aggressiveness, Coper hastily raised his sword to defend –

An uppercut to the chin sent Coper reeling. Kirito grabbed the back of his head and yanked it towards himself only to smash the hilt of his blade into Coper's face. Though pain was dampened in the virtual world, the impact made Coper stumble and drop his blade.

"Sonnuva – "

Before he could even finish, Kirito slashed him across the chest. Coper crashed into a tree violently.

"Surrender!" Kirito commanded. The tip of his sword hovered dangerously close to his opponent's neck. For a moment, Coper was terrified. His plan to kill Kirito and take the Healing Ovule from him backfired spectacularly, and he was about to lose his life for his failure.

But then, he realised that Kirito didn't plan to kill him.

And then, he noticed his opponent's trembling hand.

"What's this?" Coper's smile was downright nefarious. "You can't kill me, can you."

With an exaggerated motion, the unarmed player stepped forward. Kirito quickly moved back. Although his blade was still directed at Coper, the weapon no longer posed a threat.

"Ha, I fucking knew it."

Coper lunged. Reflexively, Kirito jerked his blade out of the way and was tackled to the ground. He struggled to keep his sword out of reach as his attacker scratched, struck and choked him. Kirito managed to shove Coper off him but the squinty-eyed teen took the chance to fetch his own sword.

Rearmed but also armed with the knowledge that his opponent lacked the will to kill, Coper was more dangerous than ever. Kirito was running out of options. Defeating Coper without immobilising or killing him was meaningless. Fleeing would be difficult; even if he succeeded, the threat Coper posed would still remain. Giving up his belongings to the aggressor was an option, but Kirito had little faith that this would effectively appease a treacherous person like Coper.

A low, guttural screech grabbed their attention. Both boys turned to see a fruit-bearing Little Nepenthes watching them.

Out of desperation, Kirito's mind formulated a plan.

Out of desperation, he launched a throwing pick at the plant-type monster. The red, bulbous fruit burst and a pink-coloured juice spilled out from it, the liquid completely drenching the Nepenthes that bore it. A powerful fruity stench filled the air.

"Y-you're crazy!" Coper exclaimed in fear. Both players were well aware of the consequences of Kirito's action.

The black-haired boy immediately turned and ran. With a roar the (once) fruit-bearing Nepenthes lashed at him with its vine; its knife-sharp leaf whizzed harmlessly behind the fleeing boy. Through a combination of skill and luck he managed to escape from the incoming Nepenthes horde, but just barely. Coper darted to the nearest tree and activated his [hiding] skill. In his panic, he had forgotten that the carnivorous plants were blind creatures who hunted using smell, and was slain after a futile struggle.

Upon returning to the safety of his room Kirito curled up into a ball and cried himself to sleep. He did not collect the quest rewards that evening, nor did he read the string of messages Argo later sent him.

The next day, Kirito stopped by a certain town to resupply. When he passed by a fruit stall, the scent made him so sick that he collapsed to his knees. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't throw up since the act of vomiting was impossible in SAO.

It was then he realised how much the Horunka Forest incident had traumatised him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for reference, Argo doesn't have her whiskers yet. Lisbeth's appearance is based on her cameo in the first episode of the anime. Argo is 17 years old, Lisbeth is 15.
> 
> I don't intend to cover every single floor of Aincrad so there will be time skips here and there.
> 
> The omakes aren't narrated by the protagonist, as reflected by the third person writing. The protagonist may not necessarily be aware of the events that happened in the omake.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and have a good day! Or whatever's left of it


	3. Four merry men

Party Status 

LOL: lv.4, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Lisbeth: lv.4, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

?: lv.4, equipped with [Bronze Scimitar]

* * *

"I'm confident in you two, just don't take any unnecessary risks and look out for each other. Remember, I'm only one message away if ya need help." Argo sounded like a concerned mother sending her children abroad.

"Don't worry, we won't do anything too stupid," I answered.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe."

_So harsh._

"We'll be fine, promise," Liz reassured her. "See you in a few days."

"Keep me updated 'kay? Well, bye for now! Don't miss me too much."

"We won't!" Liz and I spoke together. Argo grinned and made her way down the path leading out of town.

"There she goes. Hopefully we can find someone decent to team up with. Let's start with the weapon shop, there's bound to be people there," I suggested.

"Sure. I just thought of this, but we should have some sort of … 'code' for when we run into someone sketchy, or if we feel like we might be in danger."

"That's a really good idea. Hmm … I've got it. We'll talk about the weather."

"Yeah, I guess that'll work."

We soon arrived at the weapon store. I yanked the door open and stepped forward –

"Oh! Sorry."

"It's fine, no harm done." Before me was a blue-haired young man with an easy-going smile. He was about to exit the moment I decided to enter and we very nearly collided into each other. I hurriedly moved aside. With a nod of appreciation he walked past us.

"Hey, um, got a moment?" Liz's words stopped the stranger in his tracks.

"Sure. How can I help you?" I noticed the longsword strapped to his waist and shield on his back. He also wore bronze armour which covered much of his torso. This person's equipment was clearly a significant upgrade from the starting gear.

"Are you planning to pass through Malonna Village? If you are, can we tag along with your party?" Liz asked.

"Sorry, but we're planning to take the Merrona Village route."

_Oh well, on to the next person._

"That's too bad. We'll go ask someone else then, thanks for your time," Liz told him.

"Wait. You two must be pretty good to get here so quickly. What're your names?" In all honesty Liz and I only managed to reach this point thanks to Argo but the stranger didn't need to know that.

"I'm LOL, this is Lisbeth. And you are?"

"My name's Diavel. What do you say we register each other as friends? It's better to have as many allies as possible in a game like this." With a few clicks Diavel's name appeared as the fourth entry on my friends list.

"I'm sure we'll run into each other sooner or later. Good luck getting to the next safe zone!"

"You too, take care!"

The other players in the weapon shop weren't interested in teaming up with us so we went to the inn next. The dining area was empty save for a group of four males seated near the entrance. We could hear them discussing travel plans, and it just so happened that their destination was the same as ours. Liz shot me a questioning look. I gave her a thumbs up, she nodded and we approached the quartet of male players.

"Excuse me." The men's discussion ceased at the sound of my voice. Four pairs of eyes zeroed in on Liz and me. "Sorry to interrupt but we overheard that Malonna Village is your next destination?"

"Yeah, that's right. What about it?" One of the men said.

"Any chance we could join you guys? It'd really help us out if we could travel together up until Merhjia Town. We're supposed to meet a friend there but it'll be difficult with just the two of us."

"Merhjia Town? Where's that?" The person who spoke this time wore a red bandana.

"Oh, it's a few days away from here. Everyone has to pass by that place at some point so it's not like we're asking you to go out of your way for us," I answered.

"I see. Well, I'm fine with you two joining us. Guys?"

"I'm okay with this."

"Hold on a second. Sorry, but could you give us a moment to talk about this? I just don't want to rush into a decision," one of the men said. Liz and I stepped back to give the men some space. Given the circumstances of the death game, I appreciated the man's healthy display of caution. Shortly, the bandana-wearing player welcomed us to his party with a friendly smile.

It took me a while but I managed to put my new companions' names to their faces:

Klein was the one with the red bandana. A sociable man in his early twenties, Klein was the type who wore his emotions on his sleeves. There was something… disarming about his amicable nature. I'd say that Klein had a refreshingly innocent grin, though using 'innocent' to describe someone a good few years my senior would be quite arrogant.

Dynamm was the careful man. He donned a durag the same colour as Klein's bandana. There was an air of patience to him. He also had very good posture. Most people tend to slouch or lean back when sitting, yet Dynamm always sat up straight.

Dale was a tall, chubby man who sported a small afro. He had a round face, a round belly and surprisingly large hands. Whenever his friends poked fun at his size or weight Dale would always laugh along with them. Occasionally this would then result in remarks about his weird laughter. In all fairness, his chortling sounded like he was suffocating.

Last but not least was Harry Pott – sorry, I meant to say Harry One. Everyone called him H1. He wore a visor-less helmet and was clearly the youngest of the group: while his party members had the appearance of working men, H1 looked like a university student. He seemed to prefer listening rather than speaking, though he didn't strike me as a shy person.

* * *

Apparently each settlement in SAO had its fair share of problems; Malonna Village was no exception. Considering that the NPC quests were an important source of EXP, I suppose this was something I should've been happy about.

Ten minutes away from Malonna was a giant lake which served as the village's water source. Ever since a horde of kobolds had occupied the lake bank, fetching water became a perilous task. The villagers weren't capable of putting up a fight so they put their faith in the random adventurers who happened upon their village.

"Here's a thought: after we kill those monsters, why don't we take over the lake ourselves and charge the villagers for access?" H1 jokingly suggested. Dynamm gave his friend a funny look.

"Dude, that's kinda messed up."

"It's their fault for being complacent and not having a half-decent guard unit."

_He does have a point._

"Okay, let's pretend that taking over the lake is even possible. What if the villagers send other players to fight us off?" Dynamm smirked as the younger male's eyes widened in realisation.

"Shit. Didn't think of that."

Argo wasn't lying when she claimed that the path through Malonna Village was the scenic route. The lake area was a sight for sore eyes: the clear water reflected the blue sky, the passing clouds and the pine trees on the other bank. It looked as if a parallel world existed beneath the water surface. I wanted to row, row, row a boat, gently down the lake (merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily). Though the bloodthirsty creatures were an eyesore.

I hissed as a Kobold scout's blade cut my shoulder. The next time it swung, I parried its rusty scimitar and aimed a slash at its face, my sword leaving a blue trail as it cleaved through the monster's flesh.

"Switch!"

I threw myself to the side, allowing H1 a clear path to run the kobold through with his spear. With a shriek it disappeared from the virtual world.

"Well played."

"You too."

To my left Dynamm was battling another Kobold Scout. Though the beast failed to bypass his round shield, he was struggling to find an opening to counterattack. The stalemate came to an end when I jammed my blade into the creature's back. Its miserable life of murder and plunder came to an end as Dynamm swiftly carved out its throat. The man gave me an appreciative nod.

"Woah!"

Liz leaned to the side, narrowly dodging the [Kobold Lancer's] spear. She misjudged the monster's striking range and was saved by her quick reflexes. Klein charged at her opponent but it leapt back before he could land a hit. Instinctively, he backed off. An elementary mistake: he should've closed the gap instead of retreating. The two of them eventually managed to defeat the kobold but not before Klein was stabbed in the arm. By then none of us had experience fighting against spear-users so it was only natural that Liz and Klein would struggle. I definitely wouldn't have fared any better.

"That's the last one!" Dale declared joyfully. His cleaver-like blade rested against his broad shoulder. "Good job guys!"

"Man, those Kobold Lancers are annoying as hell. You're a spear-user as well, got any tips for fighting them?" Klein asked H1 while removing a Health Potion from his pouch. The latter shrugged.

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself. It might be easier if you bait out an attack and go for the counterstrike. Numerical superiority helps," H1 said, paying no heed to Klein who was gagging on the disgusting potion.

"Do you think there are any monsters in here?" Liz wondered out loud as she peered into the pristine lake. Her reflection stared back at her inquisitively.

"Probably. If there are, you better hope they won't drag you into the water." Hearing Klein's words Liz backed away immediately.

All in all, the four men were more or less average fighters. As fellow beginners we were pretty much equals in terms of skill which was a good thing. If they were far superior combatants, they might've not had the patience for amateurs like Liz and I. If they had been significantly weaker … well, someone like that probably wouldn't have gotten this far yet.

We decided to spend the night in Malonna Village. Dale and Dynamm went to repair their nearly destroyed equipment while H1 headed to the general store to restock on supplies. The rest of us – Klein, Liz and I – were responsible for securing our lodgings for the evening.

"Nice! They've got it here as well." Klein whistled cheerfully as he took from a pile of handouts sitting on the inn counter. The pamphlet in his hand was proudly titled _SAO Strategy Guide_. On the cover was the easily recognisable 'Mickey Mouse icon' of three black circles joined together, though three pairs of whiskers and a small, circular nose were added the 'face'. On the bottom left corner were the words _'Don't worry. This is Argo's guidebook'_.

"Man, these things have been a real lifesaver. If I get the chance I'd love to thank this 'Argo' guy in person." Though the praise was not meant for us, hearing our mentor get the recognition she deserved made Liz and I quite happy.

_I'll be sure to pass on your sentiments to her. Hmm, I'll introduce you if there's an opportunity._

"This is the first time I'll have a room to myself. It's a bit lonely without her," Liz commented. Both she and Argo had mentioned on multiple occasions how much they enjoyed being roommates.

"It does get much quieter when she's not around. Well, my door's always open if you want some company for the evening."

A gaping Klein stared at me incredulously. Then the implications of my words hit me like a brick.

"NO! I didn't mean it that way. What I meant to say was, if you get lonely at night, I'm happy to – no no no! That sounds just as bad. Time out." I took a hot second to reconsider my wording. Liz and Klein wore the faces of people watching a train wreck. "Okay, let's try this again. You're free to hang out with me if you want to. There!"

"Now that was entertaining. I've never seen anyone trip over their words that badly," Liz said amusedly. I could feel my face and ears burning. "It's a shame she wasn't here to witness that."

_Thank fuck for that._

We learned a bit about our new friends while chatting over a warm meal. It turned out that Klein and Dynamm were long-time friends. The pair met Dale in university, and he went on to become their superior at work. Apparently they met H1 at an arcade. Strangely, H1 had a sheepish look when they mentioned that particular detail.

"So, what's the deal with you two? You guys a couple?" Dale asked us. While I didn't hold romantic feelings towards my partner, it hurt my pride a teeny bit when she burst out laughing.

"We ran into each other on the first day and ended up as teammates. By the way, I've been single my whole life. Don't think that'll change anytime soon," I said with a self-depreciating laugh.

"I'm not dating anyone as well. In the first place I'm not really interested in being in a relationship." In hindsight Liz's statement was painfully ironic.

"Welcome to the club! Klein's the president," Dynamm joked. Klein chucked a chunk of bread at him but he ducked out of the way. The food missile flew past Dynamm's head and went straight into some poor sod's soup.

"What the hell!?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That was an accident!" Klein apologised as he stood up hurriedly and rushed over to the table next to ours. "Look, I'll get you a new one."

"Meetings for the singles' club are every Friday night," Dynamm continued as Klein sat back down. "We get together to complain about life, cuss out any obnoxious couples we know and drown ourselves in alcohol."

"I don't think I need to say this but we're underaged," I replied while pointing at Liz and myself.

"This is Aincrad, I don't think the law applies here," Dale pointed out. "With that said, no pressure if you'd rather not touch anything alcoholic."

"The system actually makes it impossible for minors to drink. The NPCs will yell at us if we order anything alcoholic. I would demonstrate but it was mortifying enough the last time it happened." It was Argo who told me about this 'unique feature' of the tavern NPCs. I foolishly decided to experience it myself after some strong encouragement from her, and … well, let's just say that I still haven't recovered from that verbal scathing.

"Can't you just get someone older to buy alcohol for you?" Klein suggested.

"That won't work. Apparently, whenever a minor makes lip contact with any kind of alcoholic beverage, it instantly turns into water," Liz explained. Klein raised a brow at her words.

"Seriously? Wow, the developers are a bunch of killjoys."

"Not as much of a killjoy as turning an MMO into a death game," H1 quipped.

* * *

Message log

_From: Argo_

_Text: Glad to hear that things are going well! There's something I need to talk with you about._

_As I feared, the devs changed some of the monsters' stats and abilities. There have been casualties because of this. I know we're supposed to reunite at Merhjia Town but I want to scout out the road ahead and warn people about any other changes. Are you fine with staying with your new friends until Tolbana Town? That's the safe zone closest to the labyrinth. Talk with Liz and lemme know ASAP. I'll send you a list of the changes I've discovered in a bit._

_Stay safe!_

* * *

The four men were happy to continue travelling with us beyond Merhjia Town. It was our sixth day together and we came across a town by the name of Vyktehma.

"Wow, this place looks dreadful," Liz commented as she took in our surroundings.

_Couldn't have said it better myself._

The ex-town was a disaster. No, it would be more appropriate to say that it was the victim of a disaster. Most buildings were reduced to piles of rubble. The ones that were still standing had scratch marks all over their wooden exteriors and gaping holes in the walls. Had this place seen war?

"For a safe area, this place feels really unsettling," H1 commented with a frown. There was a crunch as he stepped on the remains of a wooden door.

"At least we won't have to worry about undead monsters popping out from the ruins!" Klein cheerily remarked. He pointed at a figure in the middle of the town. "Look, there's a quest-giver NPC over there."

Said NPC turned out to be some blond-haired youth. He wore leather armour and had a sword strapped to his waist. Initially the soldier was staring into the distance, lost in thought, but turned to face us as we approached him.

"It's not safe here. You should leave as soon as possible," the NPC warned us. We looked at one another before Dynamm spoke up.

"This place is a mess. Did it get attacked?"

"Aye, it was a kobold raid. Vyktehma was already like this when my unit got here. We've sent for reinforcements but it'll be difficult for us to hold out until they arrive – assuming the other towns have men to spare," the man sighed. I was still unused to the NPCs' realism and found myself feeling uncomfortable.

"Is there anything we can do to help? We're quite confident in our, um, combat abilities," Dynamm said. The soldier gave us a long appraising look.

" … The kobold pack responsible for all this is still at large. A raid party strong enough to take out the town guard would probably number thirteen to fifteen kobolds." We all reacted with varying degrees of surprise. For a quest on the 1st Floor, this was an unexpectedly large number of enemies. "The good news is that we discovered five kobold corpses. Can you handle the rest? There were tracks leading to the north."

_Now that's a more reasonable number. Also, calling your settlement 'Victim Town' is just asking for misfortune._

Dynamm shot us a quick glance. Klein and Dale nodded. "Sure, leave them to us."

"Thank you, and good luck. I'll talk to my squad leader about arranging a reward. No good deed should go unrewarded."

Dale stretched his arms as we walked away. "O-kay! Time for my one good deed of the year."

"You said the exact same thing during our last quest," Klein reminded him.

"And the quest before," Liz added.

"Yeah, well, I'm stockpiling on good karma so that I can sin without worry."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just buy an indulgence?" H1 suggested jokingly.

"Jokes aside, we should totally check out the next religious building we come across. They might actually sell useful stuff like holy water that cures status effects," Klein said.

_Maybe we could buy a holy hand grenade. Imported from Antioch._

After several monster encounters and quite a bit of walking, we finally discovered the cave that served as the kobold pack's lair. Three of the foul creatures were standing guard at the entrance, though my [searching] skill detected five more enemies inside.

"Do you think we can take out the ones outside without their friends noticing us? We could kill off the guards, sneak into the cave and assassinate the rest," Klein suggested. We were watching the kobolds from a safe distance.

"I wouldn't count on that working. You know how noise those things can get," Dynamm told him.

"Yeah, you're right. Guess our best bet is to defeat those three before the reinforcements come. Alright guys, it's two people per kobold. Everyone pick a target."

_Oh, Liz and I chose the same one._

"Want me to lead?" I asked her.

"Sure. I've got the follow-up."

"Gotcha. Weather's nice today huh."

"It's not bad." She gave my arm a quick squeeze. I smiled wryly and took out a throwing pick from my belt pouch.

"Five, four, three, two, one – now!" We hurled our throwing picks at Klein's command. The projectiles struck true. Aggravated, the three scimitar-bearing beasts noisily charged to their deaths. One of the howling creatures rushed at me; with a burst of speed I leapt forward and slammed my Anneal Blade into its skull, the impact flooring the unsuspecting kobold.

"Liz!"

"On it!"

She ran the wounded monster through with her sword. Its death throes fused with the sound of shattering glass. Dale sent one of the kobolds flying with a heavy swing; it collapsed into minuscule bits mid-air. The third one was impaled by H1's spear and Klein easily finished off the half-dead creature.

"Incoming!" Dynamm warned. A pair of Kobold Lancers sprinted out of the cave; without stopping they thrust their weapons at the two people nearest to them. One of the spears hit Dynamm's round shield with a loud _thunk_. H1 batted the other spear away with his own. Dale and Klein quickly grabbed onto the kobolds' outstretched spears. Too busy struggling for control of their weapons, the creatures put up no resistance as Liz and I hacked them to bits.

"Hey, this quest isn't as bad as I thought it'd be!" Dale commented with a grin.

"Um, yeah, try saying that again after you see that thing," Liz nervously stated as she pointed at the cave entrance.

" … Shit."

A head taller than its fellow kobolds, the creature that emerged from the cave was abnormally large for its species. Wielding a terrifying war axe in each hand, the muscular monstrosity was clearly a force to be reckoned with. Its lack of armour – the beast wore only a fur pelt – did not make it any less frightening. Oozing bloodlust, the [Kobold Champion] hungrily sized up its prey. The ferocious berserker was flanked by two [Kobold Sentinels]. Each bodyguard was covered in armour from head to toe and held a heavy-looking mace. The champion roared and began clashing its axes together; following its lead, the sentinels slammed their maces onto the ground repeatedly and let out high-pitched howls.

_Welp. Consider me intimidated._

"I'll stall the champion! You guys fight the sentinels," Dynamm yelled. As the group's sole shield-bearer, it fell to him to act as our first line of defence. The man knew his role and – in spite of his apprehensions – played it enthusiastically.

"Left!" "We've got left!"

Liz and I ran to the side. The rest of our party sprang into action: clutching his two-handed blade, Dale rushed after Klein while H1 got into a battle-ready stance behind Dynamm.

I hurled a throwing pick at one of the sentinels. Surprisingly, the projectile bounced off the monster's thick helmet though it was enough to grab its attention. My partner moved to engage the enraged creature. Her sword caught the kobold's mace but the unexpectedly powerful blow sent Liz backpedalling straight into me. I quickly extended my arms; my left hand caught her shoulder while my right hand, which had closed into a fist around the hilt of my Anneal Blade, pressed against her back.

"Push me!" I reacted to Liz's words instinctively and shoved her. Using the forward momentum she leapt and slammed her blade into the kobold's neck. A solid hit, yet the damage was less than we hoped for. The kobold's mace smashed into her ribs. Momentarily, my attention was split between Liz who lay on the ground and the vicious monster which turned its gaze to me. The kobold sentinel lunged. I immediately abandoned any thought of taking the offensive and jumped aside, barely avoiding the heavy weapon. The creature pivoted on its left foot and went for a sideways swing. One second the entire world spun, the next second there was dust in my mouth.

_Fuck. Fucking fucker._

I spat and picked myself up. Liz was carefully dodging the monster's ferocious onslaught; with the kobold's attention on her, I managed to slip behind it unnoticed.

_Die!_

As if it were a paintbrush, my sword left a thick red line that ran from the sentinel's skull down the length of its body. Though the sneak attack wasn't fatal, it stunned the creature long enough for Liz hack at its neck again. In desperation the kobold lashed out wildly, its mace narrowly missing Liz's face and my ear. It breathed its last with my blade protruding from its neck.

I glanced at the rest of my allies while chugging down an insanely bitter health potion. Dale held his own against the other sentinel. His two-handed cleaver seemed to match the kobold's weapon in terms of weight and the large man had an easier time parrying its strikes than Liz or I did. Klein's scimitar found purchase in the monster's backside. While the attack wasn't a deathblow, it was certainly a clean hit.

_Looks like they have things under control._

The same, however, couldn't be said for Dynamm and H1. Make no mistake, the two put up a good fight but it was clear they were struggling. Dynamm's entire being wobbled as the Kobold Champion battered his shield with its dual axes. A lucky upward strike caught the side of the round shield and tore it out of his hand. H1 jammed his spear into the large kobold's face; Dynamm took the opening to dive for his shield. The beast roared furiously, the spearhead visible in its mouth. H1 hurriedly retracted his weapon but the champion charged him before he could act –

"Not today!" Dynamm shouted as his curved blade sliced into the muscular creature's waist, stopping it in its tracks. The shield-bearer's HP was getting worryingly low yet he continued to fearlessly throw himself at his much stronger opponent. The incensed kobold turned and brought down both axes onto his shield, the force powerful enough to throw him clean off his feet. I jumped between the champion and my floored ally. At the same time, Liz stuck her sword into its thick arm while H1 stabbed it in the back of its head. Dynamm quickly retreated to a safe distance to heal up.

What happened next was a deadly cat and mouse game. While H1 continued to land blow after blow on the Kobold Champion, Liz and I focused on evading its furious assault, slipping in a quick attack whenever we could to force the beast's attention on us. As I dodged and weaved the axes inched closer and closer to my flesh …

I saw it. I watched the axe fly towards me but I wasn't fast enough. The champion broke through my flimsy attempt to guard and swatted me away like a fly. A quick glance at my health points confirmed that the monster hit much harder than its deceased friends did.

I watched as Klein ran at our adversary. Stopping on a dime, he dodged the kobold's axe by jumping backwards but then lost his footing and almost fell. As he fought to regain balance, the creature reared back to strike with its other weapon –

H1's spear pierced through the champion's shoulder while Liz slashed its forearm. The consecutive attacks slowed the creature enough for Klein to drive his scimitar into the base of its neck, the curved sword carving diagonally through the beast's torso and passing straight out its side. But the man was not done. Klein's blade shone a radiant red; with a burst of speed he unleashed a swift sideways slash followed by a downwards cut which silenced the kobold's pained roar.

The monster shattered like glass, its remnants disappearing with the wind.

"About fucking time! How much HP did that thing have!?" H1 cried in exasperation. He dropped his weapon and plopped down tiredly. Dale walked over to the boy and ruffled his hair.

"Yo! That was a flashy kill just now buddy!" Dynamm jogged over to his friend and slapped him on the back. Klein seemed slightly dazed but quickly regained focus when the shield-bearer spoke to him.

"Oh, yeah, thanks. You did an amazing job tanking all those hits." Both men bumped fists. With a pitying glance from Dale and a far less sympathetic grin from Liz, I uncorked yet another health potion and downed it entirely. Klein was kind enough to offer me his waterskin.

The rest of the day was pretty standard: we made merry, made conversation, made our preparations for the next day and eventually made our way to bed.

* * *

This was an awkward time to be awake.

Nobody was supposed to be doing anything until later. Even most NPCs were only active starting from six in the morning, although there were always a few who 'got up' extra early to set up their stalls. Tossing and turning didn't help me sleep. Neither did counting sheep. My mind wandered, and my thoughts drifted to those in the real world.

_Is she holding up fine? She must be hurting so badly after he left. This is probably the most vulnerable she's ever been but I'm not there to support her._

_What about her? He's … gone, and she's struggling to cope, and now I'm gone as well. I hope she isn't feeling all alone. Again._

_And them. Are they healthy? Are they happy? Please don't let their concern for me ruin their spirits._

_Then there's him. The man who's long fallen out of fortune's grace. I can only hope that my departure hasn't caused him too much grief._

_I'm such a hypocrite. How can I think about saving the SAO players when I can't even help the people precious to me?_

_… Fuck. That was_ _condescending. They don't 'need' me. They'll be fine._

Stewing in a dark room with dark thoughts was hardly a bright idea. I got up, grabbed the water pitcher on my desk and poured myself a drink. With a creak the window's wooden shutter opened, the gentle dawn twilight instantly flooding the room. The cool morning air was liberating.

A red flash caught my attention.

_No way._

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

_Seriously? Training, at this time of the day?_

Repeating the same motions over and over and over again, Klein was too focused to notice me strolling out of the inn. He took a step and swung diagonally, then his blade glowed crimson and he unleashed two swift slashes in succession, the trajectories forming a red cross. The man was topless and drenched in sweat. Some people might've found his toned physique a pleasing sight.

"You're up early." Klein almost jumped out of his skin. His surprised reaction was quite satisfying.

"Holy shit! How long have you been there!?" Klein exclaimed.

"I'm aaaaaalllllwaaaaays wiiiiiiiiiiith yoooooouuu … so, you do this every morning?"

"Yup, I've always liked getting up early, it makes my days feel a lot more productive. What about you, you an early riser as well?"

"Only when I can't sleep."

"That so?" He wiped the sweat off his brow. "Since you're here, wanna train together?"

"Oh, I've got an idea. Wanna do some friendly sparring? It could be a fun way to start the day."

"Wait, isn't PVP dangerous?"

"We don't take damage in safe zones, remember? I've sparred with Liz a bunch of times, it's perfectly safe." Currently I had a 4-5 record against Liz, though each of our matches had been pretty close.

"Right, that's true. Okay then, let's give it a go."

"Before we start, please put on a shirt," I said as I flicked open my menu. Klein's eyes widened upon seeing my new weapon.

"Since when did you start using a rapier?"

"Since now. I bought this thing last night, thought I'd give it a try," I answered. Yesterday Liz expressed interest in using a heavier weapon. Since a speed-based weapon would nicely complement the powerful but slower strikes of a mace or a greatsword, I thought it'd be prudent to familiarise myself with a rapier in case she really decided to make the switch. With that said, the [Bronze Rapier] I wielded was a fairly mediocre weapon, and I'd be much better off using my Anneal Blade for the inevitable Floor Boss battle.

"Ready when you are. Don't hold back." I tried my best to imitate the stance I saw in Argo's guidebook. Klein smirked at my 'invitation'.

"You asked for it!" He made the first move. The man's higher STR (strength) stat meant that I had to strain myself to stave off his blows. I blocked his first strike and deflected the second but the third one left a cut on my wrist.

"Tch!" My rapier slapped the ground before his feet. It was a blunder; I was aiming for his legs, though the missed attack got him to back off.

_I'm not used to this kind of weapon. Alright, let's see what it can do offensively._

The sole rapier-class skill in my repertoire was [Linear], a basic attack involving a quick simple thrust. As the system took over my body, seeing a pale violet light envelop my blade filled me with an indescribable excitement. Klein defended at the last second; his scimitar altered the course of my strike but the rapier still nailed him on the shoulder, causing him to stumble. He managed to stay on his feet.

 _Crap! I should've kept attacking while he was off balance!_ _What a waste …_

Too caught up in self-reproach, I was slow to react as Klein charged me. I awkwardly avoided a diagonal slash but my messy footwork left me vulnerable.

_Oh no._

I knew I screwed up when I saw his scimitar glow red. I was hacked across the chest before an overhead strike introduced my head to the ground.

_Move! MOVE!_

A player was most vulnerable after executing a Sword Skill; Argo's merciless beatdowns had hammered that knowledge into my head. I scrambled to my feet and prepared to throw myself at Klein. Perhaps it was my unintentionally hostile glare but the man shuffled backwards with a surprised expression.

Knees bent, the grip on my rapier tightened. If he blocked the slash to his face then I'd go for a tackle –

My body stilled. I exhaled, sheathed my rapier and put up both hands. "That was a good fight Klein."

"It sure was! But why'd you stop? You were clearly going for something just now."

"I was getting a little too heated up towards the end. No point going too hard during a friendly spar."

"That's fair. Dude, you had me shook for a second back there. I wasn't expecting you to pop up from the ground like some kind of zombie."

"I'll take that as a compliment. By the way, that little combo just now was the same one you used to take out the Kobold Champion, wasn't it?"

"Good eye! To be honest, I didn't come up with it on my own." I raised a brow at Klein. "Um, I guess you could call it a fluke? I was moving on instinct and somehow pulled that move off. That's why I've been practising it for a bit this morning."

Everyone and their dogs could use Sword Skills; seamlessly integrating the skills' activation with regular movements was much harder. The ability to do so was the mark of a good player. Of course, it would be too early to call Klein a good fighter but he was clearly taking steps towards the right direction.

"Considering that you used it successfully just now, I'd say you've done well. Wanna go grab breakfast?"

"Can't say no to that."

* * *

Message log

_To: Argo_

_Text: Morning! Can't believe it's been a week since we've split up. If all goes well we'll arrive at Tolbana Town today._ _It still amazes me that you managed to get there all on your own two days ago._

_Stay safe. Looking forward to seeing you soon_

* * *

Tolbana Town was a beautiful, prosperous place. A variety of restaurants and shops lined the cobblestone streets. Patches of greenery and water fountains added to the town's splendour. The settlement was enclosed with high stone walls similar to those of the Town of Beginnings. Well-equipped guardsmen were almost an omnipresence. Thanks to the town's impressive defences, its inhabitants could go about daily life without worrying about monster attacks.

North of the town was the [Floor 1 labyrinth]. Hidden within the depths of the dungeon was the 1st [Floor Boss], our greatest and final obstacle to reaching the next floor.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye. Man, that sounded way cooler in my head," Dale said with a chuckle.

"Thanks for everything. We owe you guys big time." In response to my words H1 smiled and gave me a friendly fist bump.

"We had a blast travelling with you guys. Didn't think I'd say this in a death game, but we had fun," Liz added.

"You guys are always welcome to team up with us. Just drop us a message and we'll sort something out," Dynamm told us.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Liz, L, can you do me a favour?" Klein asked. We motioned for him to continue. "There's this friend of mine, his name's Kirito. He's a loner and a bit awkward but he's a good person. If you happen to run into him, promise me you'll look out for him? Please?"

"Of course! Any friend of yours is also a friend of mine," Liz replied with a reassuring smile. I voiced my agreement and Klein immediately looked relieved.

"Thanks! I really appreciate it! Well, I'm sure we'll see each other soon, but bye for now!"

"Stay safe guys! Take care!"

We watched the four men walk down the street and disappear from our sight.

_Now then, let's go meet up with Argo …_

"Nya ha ha! Nice to see that ya made some friends!" A familiar voice rang out behind us.

_Ah. I've missed you._

"Woah there!" Argo chuckled as Liz pulled her into a hug. As always, our dear mentor was grinning but there was an unusual … tenderness to her expression. Being the recipient of such an affectionate gaze was flattering and a little embarrassing. I might've averted my eyes and blushed a little.

"Those whiskers are pretty cute," I remarked. Three pairs of brown, cartoonish whisker marks had been drawn on Argo's cheeks. They were certainly a creative bit of makeup.

"Of course they are! I did them myself," she stated proudly. "Hey, I'm likin' your new look. It's quite handsome!"

A couple days ago Dale somehow managed to acquire an appearance-changing dye. Nobody wanted it, and the dye was worth next to nothing yet it felt like a waste to simply discard it. Thus, we agreed to play rock-paper-scissors and the dye would be applied on the loser. The result was that my eyes and hair were now dyed a dull grey. Additionally Klein thought it'd be funny to tie my hair into a short ponytail, and a gleeful Liz kindly donated a hairband for the cause.

(I've lost count of the number of old man jokes I've had to endure on account of my grey hair)

"Oh? I wasn't expecting you to – "

"Sike! You're still an ugly-lookin' idiot. Even makeup can't save ya. How're you gonna have grey hair before hittin' twenty? Are ya tryin' to look like an anime protag or somethin'? And what's with the ponytail?"

_You little …_

"You're calling me ugly? Have you looked into a mirror? Are you even tall enough to look into a mirror?"

"Okay, calm down children, let me take care of this," Liz told us as she produced a hand mirror from her inventory. She took a deep breath and chanted:

"Mirror, mirror, on my hand;

Who's the ugliest of all this land?"

Liz spoke with the dramatic flair of an actor performing in some theatrical performance. She wore an expression of faux concentration as she stared at the mirror _…_

"Oh dear! According to Mr Mirror, both of you are the ugliest humans alive. What a shame. By the way, apparently I'm the prettiest." Neither of us were happy with Liz's answer so we began hurling abuse at her.

The three of us were smiling the whole time.

* * *

**Omake: Rough beginnings**

"You guys really are a close group of friends."

Klein smiled. "Yeah, I'm lucky to have them here with me. The death game's a lot more bearable when you've got people you can trust."

At the moment Klein and Lisbeth were in town waiting for the rest of their party to finish preparing for an upcoming quest.

"You mentioned that you've known Dynamm for ages. How did you two meet?" Lisbeth asked.

"We were classmates in eighth grade. Man, I've known the guy for more than a decade and even now I'm still amazed that we managed to become friends.

"Oh? Did you two get off the wrong foot?"

"That's putting it lightly," Klein said sheepishly. "I'm not proud of it but I used to bully him."

"… Huh." Lisbeth raised a brow.

"Back in the day Dynamm was this small, clumsy kid with low self-esteem. I thought very lowly of him. Actually, I straight up found him annoying. It all began with me insulting him behind his back but then I started going out of my way to be a dick to him." Klein sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I enjoyed feeling like I had power over him. It didn't help that we both knew he wasn't brave enough to tell on me. Just to be clear, I'm not making any excuses for myself. Bullying is plain wrong."

"Clearly. But you two are good friends now, what changed?"

"I overheard my parents talking one evening. It was way past my bedtime so they didn't know I was there. It turned out my dad was a victim of workplace abuse and he was telling my mom about it. Hearing the man I respected the most sound so hurt really messed me up. The worst part was that the harassment my dad received sounded scarily similar to how I treated Dynamm. I mean, I bullied him because I felt like it but I didn't stop to think about what I was doing."

"I think I get it. You wanted to 'teach him a lesson' but you never really wanted to hurt him, right?" Lisbeth's fingers formed quotation marks as she spoke. "Then you became aware of the consequences and started to feel guilty."

"Yup, that's exactly it. I took a while to think about everything and it was pretty obvious I was in the wrong. The following day I apologised to Dynamm for bullying him. Once he realised that the, um, 'balance of power' had shifted, he went off on me. I was afraid he'd punch me, pretty sure he thought about it too. After that we didn't speak for like, two or three weeks."

"It's good that you apologised. Some people would've found a way to avoid responsibility. I'm guessing Dynamm decided to forgive you at some point?"

"Yeah. Apparently his grandma encouraged him to make peace with me. We actually had quite a bit in common so we quickly became good friends. Though there was one time he introduced me to his mom as "the friend who used to bully me". Easily one of the most awkward moments in my life."

"Yikes! Well, that story was a lot more … eventful than I expected but thanks for sharing. Did your dad's situation get any better?"

"Yes, he managed to find another job. It paid less but he still made enough to provide for my family so it all worked out in the end."

Having reached a lull in their conversation, the two players waited for their allies in silence.

* * *

"Liz, Lizzy, Lizster. Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

"Yup. Two eyes, two ears, a nose and a mouth."

"Good to know. Now that we've talked about the things on my face, why don't we talk about whatever's on your mind?" LOL put down his book and faced Lisbeth who seemed quite comfortable on his couch.

"I was just thinking how I don't actually know anything about you or Argo even though I consider you two very close friends."

"We haven't talked about our lives before SAO, have we? So, what do you want to know about me? My address? My bank account? My three sizes?"

"Wait, did you just say three sizes?"

"Of course you would zero in on that. Pervert." Lisbeth rolled her eyes as her friend chuckled. "Okay Liz, my measurements are 90-60-90. What're yours?"

"You're terrible."

"Let me ask a normal question then. What's your real name?"

"It's Shinozaki Rika. 'Rika' is written with the characters for 'village' (里) and 'fragrance' (香)."

"That's a pretty name. Feels a bit wasted on you though."

"Shut up."


	4. Uncalm before the storm

Party Status

LOL: lv.6, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Lisbeth: lv.6, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Argo: lv.7, equipped with [Wolf Fang Claws]

* * *

The many corridors of the Floor 1 Labyrinth were long, dim and slightly damp. If you listened closely, you could hear the echoing of footsteps.

Or in this case, the rapid stamping of feet as we darted around our opponent.

Screeching madly, the grey entity swung its large labrys with reckless abandon. It was probably no coincidence that the bigger kobolds were at the top of their hierarchy, and the [Kobold General] was the size of an adult elephant.

My heart stood still as the double-headed axe passed precariously near my face, cleaving through the space I stood seconds ago. Seeing the creature rear back for a second strike, I gritted my teeth and dropped into a stance.

_Here goes nothing!_

A silver flash, a blue blur –

The ear-grating sound of metal scraping against metal filled up the hallway. My legs buckled but with every ounce of my strength I parried the heavy blow.

"Switch!" Liz's sword carved a fine red line on the beast's greyish belly. Aiming at the laceration she just made, Liz then jammed her weapon into the kobold's gut. Hand in glove, marker pen in cap, shining blade into gaping wound. The Kobold General cried out in pain as it backpedalled.

"Get 'em Argo!" she yelled.

_It's all yours._

The behemoth was not unprepared: it waited for the whiskered girl to get close before unleashing a mighty slash. Argo dropped to the ground, avoiding the attack with room to spare. Using the momentum from its sideward swing, the Kobold General spun around to deliver a devastating downwards blow. Argo leapt to the side, not even flinching as the axe crashed down near her.

Surely, she must've had the wickedest smile as the claw-shaped weapons on her hands glowed orange.

First with the left, next with the right, six gaping wounds all deep and wide;

Arms drawn back then she thrust both forth, with a pained cry the kobold died.

In spite of its great size and strength, the Kobold General was slain by a trio of lowly humans. Its last moments must've been a pitiful combination of agony and humiliation.

_Wow! I’ve never seen a three-hit Sword Skill._

“Whew! That was a rough fight.” Panting, Liz rested against the hallway’s stone wall. A satisfied smile graced her face. “L, how’s your sword holding up? It took some pretty heavy hits.”

Although a damaged weapon could be repaired by a blacksmith, a destroyed one would be lost forever. My Anneal Blade wasn't a common weapon sold in NPC stores so I had to be mindful of its durability.

“Not great. Fortunately I have a backup.” I wiped my forehead with my forearm and sent the battered blade back to my inventory. The rapier I obtained recently materialised in its place.

“You guys actually got good! I’m so proud,” Argo praised us. “Kids sure grow up fast these days … ”

“You say that, but there’s still a huge gap between us. In fact, that gap’s gotten even wider now,” I replied, eyeing my mentor’s claw-like weapons. Although Argo was already a terrific knife-wielder to begin with, the crafty fighter was on a whole new level now that she was armed with her favourite tools.

“Nah. I bet you two will catch up a lot quicker than ya think.”

“Doesn’t seem fair to bet on myself,” Liz said. Her breathing had returned to normal. “I’m ready to continue if you guys are."

"Cool, let's keep going."

"Hold it. I'm lovin' all this enthusiasm, but aren't ya'll pushin' yerselves too much? Take it easy," Argo told us in a reprimanding tone. "Last thing I want is anybody passin' out from exhaustion. Let's call it a day."

"Yeah, you're right." "Sure, we've done plenty."

Our timing couldn't have been better: on the way back to town Argo received a message from her friend requesting to meet up as soon as possible.

“Apparently Claws got somethin’ urgent to share with us. Do ya remember him, L? We spoke with him for a bit on the first day.”

“He’s the dude with a voice deeper than the Mariana Trench right? Wasn't he in the Town of Beginnings? How'd he get here so quickly?"

"Ya forgot 'bout the Teleport Gates, didn't ya."

"Oh right."

A handful of settlements on each floor housed teleportation portals which enabled players to travel between those towns or cities instantaneously. Once a player activated the teleportation gate of a specific town, the entire playerbase would automatically gain access to that area. This made life a lot easier for everyone.

"Let's grab a bite later. I'm starving! Might treat myself to a little extra ~ " Liz had been in a good mood all day; the same could be said for myself. We were elated to be with Argo once more.

"Sure, sure. That's good and all, but – "

"Hiiieeee!" Liz squeaked as Argo suddenly pinched her waist.

"Better watch yer weight, flabby!"

_Shit. That was cute._

The surprised yelp turned a few heads. Argo snickered as the embarrassed girl elbowed her. Liz turned her gaze downwards, trying her best to ignore the stares from her fellow players.

"At least there's hope for me. Better to be a little chubby than to be trapped in the body of a nine-year-old forever," Liz muttered.

_It’s so much fun to watch people squabble._

“Oh really!? Ya know what? Yer so dumb, yo mama hung a bell around yer neck and called ya a dumbbell!” Argo retorted with a pout.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Because yer dumb!"

"Alright children, kiss and make up. Liz, you'll have to bend down for Argo to reach." I grinned as the girls each gave me a finger: one thumb and one middle finger. No points for correct guesses.

* * *

"Hey Claws! Oh, yer here too."

Clausewitz adjusted his glasses as he got up from his chair. The younger, slightly shorter blue-haired teenager next to him perked up upon seeing Liz and me.

"Hello! Do you remember me? We met in Splitura Village," Diavel said cheerfully.

"Of course! You're literally the only person I know who has blue hair. How're you doing?" Liz asked amicably. It was a pleasant surprise to see him so soon.

"I'm great! Actually, I've got some good news to share with you guys – but I'll let him do it." Diavel gestured to the bespectacled young man.

“Good evening LOL. I’ve been looking forward to our reunion.” Another meeting, another handshake with the stoic male, though this time he wore a faint smile. “You look different.”

“Thanks for being the very first person to comment on my appearance without making fun of me. I’m glad to see you again, K-Kulazwits? Kulasswisch? Um – ”

“Just ‘Claws’ is fine. I’m painfully aware that my username is hard to pronounce in Japanese,” he said with a sigh. Argo mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like _“I told you so”_. Claws then extended his hand towards Liz. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lisbeth. Your reputation precedes you.”

"Nice to meet – wait, I have a reputation?"

"A stellar one. Argo sings your praises often. I've not heard her gush over anyone so much before. Of course, this applies to you as well LOL."

"Yup! She also told me a lot about you guys," Diavel added. "She was like a really proud parent. I wish my parents acted like that sometimes.”

"Aww, is that so? Arrrrggoooooo, I didn't know you cared sooooo much!" Liz purred teasingly. For a split second our dear mentor looked a little bashful.

"Shaddup. Claws, get to the point already."

"If you insist. Earlier today, Diavel's party found the Floor Boss room." The adolescent paused to allow the news to sink in. "The boss raid will take place very soon. Prepare yourselves well."

_Finally. Here's our chance to make significant progress._

According to Claws and Argo, the first Floor Boss was [Illfang the Kobold Lord], a bulky behemoth wielding an axe and a shield. Its movements were relatively slow and predictable but the creature was immensely powerful, as expected from a being built of muscle, rage and possibly steroids. Illfang had a total of three health bars. Upon losing two thirds of its health, the creature would discard its axe and shield for a large talwar, a sabre with South Asian origins. During this second phase its attack speed would increase and its patterns would change drastically.

“Three health bars!” Liz exclaimed in dismay. “That’s more than the number of fucks I have to give on any given day.”

_You're speaking for both of us._

Apparently, fighting the ginormous death machine with an axe as large as a truck wasn’t bad enough because Illfang would be accompanied by multiple [Ruin Kobold Sentinels]. Equipped with a mace and heavy armour, a new group of these human-sized monsters would spawn whenever one of Illfang's health bars was depleted. Naturally, these kobold minions required sufficient manpower and attention.

"It bears repeating that this information is based on our experience during the beta test so it may be outdated. Stay vigilant, and be prepared for unexpected scenarios," Claws warned us. He deliberately made eye contact with Argo and Diavel as he spoke.

"By the way, that bit about Illfang having three health bars is accurate. I confirmed it with my own eyes," Diavel added. “I’ll hold a meeting in Tolbana Town tomorrow to recruit people for the boss raid. If it all goes well, we can go kick Illfang’s ass the day after. In the meantime I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff to take care of. Sorry Argo but I’ll need your help. Again.”

"Sure, no problem. L, Liz, can ya do me a favour?"

* * *

Liz and I sat on the stone base of a fountain. Argo asked us to deliver something to a friend of hers and we were waiting for said person to arrive.

"Nervous about the boss fight? I know I am," I said while tracing circles in the refreshingly cool fountain water.

"Right now I'm fine but the anxiety will kick in later. It'll hit me like a truck and I'm not looking forward to that.” Liz clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I'm sure the boss fight will go well as long as we aim for Illfang's teeth."

"Why the teeth?"

"Because it's ILL-fang."

…

"Push me and I'll drag you into the fountain as well,” I warned with a grin.

"It might be worth it. It just might," came the exasperated response. I dipped my entire hand in the water and flicked a few droplets at her.

"Excuse me. Are you LOL?"

A boyish face, black hair, a sword strapped to his back and a long-sleeved shirt. Yes, this boy fitted Argo's description to a tee (do people still say that? Damn I feel old).

"That's me. You must be Kirito. Hang on, I've got Argo's notes right … here."

“Hmm … so many people on the diversion team? I guess she wants to play it safe. The rotations are quite basic. We could change it up a bit – no, it’s better to keep things simple. Who knows if the new players even know how to switch … ” Kirito murmured to himself. It didn’t take him long to read through the tactics Argo and the others devised for the boss fight.

"Everything's fine. I don’t have anything to add to this. If there's nothing else then I'm leaving," Kirito said curtly. His desire to end the conversation was evident from his body language. Some people might've found his brusqueness irritating.

"Actually, there _is_ something else," Liz spoke up. "Do you know someone called Klein? Friendly dude in his twenties, wears a red bandana?"

"H-how do you know him? Is he alright?" Kirito's attitude did a one-eighty from disinterested to, well, interested.

_I suppose name-dropping is an eternally useful technique._

“Don’t worry, Klein’s perfectly fine. We were in his party for a week, that guy’s real fun to be around,” Liz recalled fondly. Kirito was evidently relieved to hear that his friend was doing well. “He’s in Tolbana Town as well. You should go pay him a visit.”

The young teen seemed troubled by her suggestion. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” I asked. Kirito hesitated for a moment.

“I abandoned Klein on the first day. I can’t – I don’t deserve to see him, not when I left him behind when he needed me the most.” Kirito’s voice was laden with guilt.

_For someone who was supposedly abandoned, Klein certainly didn't seem to mind._

“I don’t know what happened between you two but if it bothers you so much then go apologise and talk it out with him. Klein’s a reasonable guy, I’m sure he’ll listen to whatever you have to say,” Liz suggested.

“Why do you even care? I-it’s not like this is any of your business.”

_Somebody sounded slightly uncertain. Not so good at acting cold, are we?_

“Because we promised Klein that we’d look out for you. And I hate breaking promises,” I interjected. “Look, I assume you want to speak with Klein at some point right? Or do you seriously plan to avoid him throughout the entire death game?”

“ … I want to speak to him. But I – ”

“I understand how you feel. However, the world won’t wait for you to be ready. Accidents are unfortunately common in death games.” Whether I’d struck a chord or a nerve, it appeared that my words hit their mark. Kirito considered my words silently. “Ultimately it’s your choice. Just remember that some regrets last a lifetime.”

“You’re right. I’ll go see Klein,” he relented. I resisted the urge to celebrate.

"Perfect!" Liz chirped. "Klein should be free now. I'll let him know we're coming."

"Wait, we're doing this right now?" Kirito asked, surprised.

“Do you have to be somewhere else?” Liz responded with her own question.

"No – "

"Then let's go. Stalling means procrastinating, and we all know what procrastinating leads to." With that we set off.

…

“Hey, um, can we not go this way?” Kirito piped up after some brisk walking. The path ahead went through the market area. I quite enjoyed strolling past the stalls and taking in the scent of baked bread and ripe fruit.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this the fastest way to get there?” I asked.

“ … Never mind. It’s fine, let’s go.” Contrary to his words, Kirito certainly didn’t seem ‘fine’.

“No, there’s no need to force yourself. Let’s go around the marketplace, it’s not like we’re in a rush,” Liz spoke up before I could say something similar.

“Thanks.”

_Guess he isn’t good at asserting himself. Still, what was that about?_

Klein was waiting for us in front of an inn. Kirito froze up upon seeing him.

“Hey, don’t get cold feet now,” Liz said as she slapped Kirito on the back. I gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. Despite his trepidation, the boy willed himself towards his impatient friend. No words will do Klein’s reaction justice but I do not exaggerate when I say that the good man’s face lit up like a light bulb.

"Kirito buddy! It IS you, right!? Dude, it's been ages!" Klein threw an arm around the nervous teen's shoulder and pulled him in for a one-armed hug. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Liz and I hung back and watched.

"Yo Klein, so you're still alive?"

_What kind of greeting is that?_

"Am I glad to see you again! I was really worried when you left on your own that day but I should've known you'd be alright. I mean, this is you we're talking about!"

"Listen, about that day. I'm sorry I bailed on you. I think about it from time to time," Kirito apologised solemnly. Klein’s response was to ruffle his black hair, earning a surprised yelp from the boy.

“Dude, there’s no need to apologise! I was the one who told you to go ahead, remember? The only thing you should be sorry about is not coming to see me earlier – but that’s fine! You can make up for that right now.”

" … Thanks man."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the others!" Klein merrily dragged Kirito into the inn. The wooden door slammed shut behind them loudly.

"Hmm. I have the stinking suspicion that we've been forgotten," Liz commented dryly.

"I think I understand now. This is an anime, Kirito's the protagonist and we're just unworthy side characters."

"You're not even a side character. Heck, you aren't even canon. You're just a badly written fanfic character who'll fade into obscurity."

_That felt strangely personal._

"You aren't much better. You're so insignificant, you're only in the opening for a split second. I bet you get like one episode of meaningful screen time. If there's a second season, you wouldn't even be in the opening."

"They sell merchandise with me on it. You can't even make the official character popularity polls."

"Shit. Can't argue with that." At that moment Kirito popped out of the inn. Wearing a sheepish expression he brought us inside the building.

Long story short, we all had a good time.

* * *

Message Log

_From: Argo_

_Text: Yo. Soz but can't join u guys tmw morning. Kii-bou caught wind of a suspicious rumour so we gonna investigate. Don't forget Diavel's meeting, I'll see u 2 there_

* * *

Diavel chose to hold the boss raid conference at a decently sized theatre (or amphitheatre?) on the northern side of Tolbana Town. By the time Liz and I arrived, somewhere between thirty to forty players had gathered in the area. We managed to find Klein's party sitting next to the stairs and joined them.

"Hi guys! Want some popcorn?" Dale asked as he held up a bag of snacks.

_Huh. My immersion in this fantasy-medieval world is now ruined._

"It feels a little weird eating popcorn outside of a cinema." In spite of her words Liz grabbed a handful as she sat down.

I soon spotted Kirito on the other side of the theatre. He was speaking with the hooded figure next to him – a friend from his beta tester days, I assumed. Argo was right behind him. Upon spotting us, she tapped Kirito on the shoulder and pointed in our direction. The swordsman waved while lil'-miss-whiskers blew us a kiss. Liz placed her hand behind my head and raised both index and middle fingers to give me 'bunny ears'. I stuck out my upper teeth and made the silliest face I could.

The chatter died down as Diavel confidently walked onto the theatre stage.

"Listen up! I'll be starting the conference now!" Diavel announced, clapping his hands. Perhaps it was the theatre’s design but the sound of his clapping seemed to echo throughout the stadium. "Thank you, everyone, for responding to my invitation. My name's Diavel, and my class is … informally, knight!"

Apparently that was a joke because some people laughed. A few others openly mocked the self-proclaimed knight. Diavel gestured for the crowd to quiet down.

“My party found the boss room on the highest level of the labyrinth!” Diavel declared. He allowed his audience a moment to digest the vital information. “It’s been two weeks since this fucked up death game began. You’ve all done well to endure for so long! Now’s the time to beat the Floor Boss and move on to the 2nd Floor! As the best players of SAO, we’ll show everyone else that this death game can be cleared! It's our responsibility to do so! Don't you agree, everyone!?"

_Wow! He changed tones at the drop of a hat. Guy's talented._

The enthusiastic cheers and loud applause would make a politician jealous. Diavel was clearly leadership material, if his ability to inspire people was any indication. It was reassuring to have him lead the way.

"Hold on a second!"

_Hmm? Whoever that was sounded quite angry._

The cheering stopped. All eyes fell on a short yet solidly built man who carried a large sword on his back. I don't quite know the specific word to describe the colour of his spiky hair but it was a mixture of brown and orange.

"Look, dude has a cactus growing out of his dome," Dale whispered. Klein and H1 started giggling.

"Nah, that's actually Bowser Jr.'s shell. He killed one of Bowser's sons just to make a hat, man's a savage!" Dynamm said in a hushed tone. Liz laughed into her hand. Klein bit his arm to stop himself from bursting into laughter. H1's giggling got louder.

_Finally! They’re making fun of someone else’s hair for once._

If Diavel was annoyed about the sudden interruption, he hid his emotions brilliantly behind a mask of curiosity.

"My name's Kibaou! I gotta get something off my chest before the boss fight." Everyone watched him questioningly as he inhaled deeply. "Show yourselves you cowardly beta testers! C'mon out and apologise to the two thousand people who died so far!"

_Wait, what?_

“You assholes abandoned us beginners at the start of this shitty death game! Those two thousand people died because you were too busy hogging all the easy quests and good hunting spots to help them! Get down to your knees and apologise, you selfish bastards! And give us all your money and items while you’re at it!” Kibaou must’ve popped a vein with all that screaming. If he were any more furious, the short man might’ve been frothing at the mouth.

_And this is why we can’t have good things._

Perhaps Kibaou once suffered at the hands of a beta tester. Maybe the man witnessed a group of beta testers doing evil. Regardless, he had no right to propagate blind resentment towards the beta testers as a whole. They, too, were struggling to make it through each day. More importantly, what benefit was there to dividing the playerbase right before the boss battle?

Almost immediately the audience members began discussing Kibaou's words. It was difficult to pick out individual opinions among the cacophony of voices but I got the impression that most people were confused about what was going on.

“What a dumbass. Like anyone’s going to do that,” H1 sneered.

"Is this guy fucking serious?" Klein muttered under his breath. Dynamm quickly grabbed him by the arm before he could go give Kibaou a piece of his mind.

"Don't be reckless. You'll make it worse," Dynamm warned.

Liz stole a glance at Argo and Kirito. Our mentor’s whiskered face was hidden under her hood while the swordsman tried his best to act inconspicuous. Acting was not one of his many strengths. Diavel wore a neutral expression as he observed his fellow players. The blue-haired beta tester was probably contemplating how to regain control of the meeting without potentially exposing himself.

All of a sudden, the chatter died down. A third person – a muscular, dark-skinned giant of a man – joined Diavel and Kibaou on the theatre stage. The latter couldn't help but shudder as the colossus stepped towards him.

_Good lord, that man is huge!_

"My name's Agil," the newcomer declared. His voice, deep and powerful, carried no hints of a foreign accent. “Kibaou. You're basically saying that the beginners died because the beta testers didn't help them, so they ought to apologise and pay reparations. Did I leave anything out?"

"N-no, that's everything. Do you know any beta testers?" Kibaou, who was shorter than the average Japanese male, had to crane his neck just to look the much larger man in the eye. The crowd watched with bated breath as Agil produced a familiar booklet and held it up for everyone to see. I doubt anyone failed to recognise Argo's strategy guide.

"Do you know what this is, Kibaou?"

"Yeah, that's the guidebook everyone’s been reading. What about it?"

"Tell me, has this guidebook ever been useful to you? Would you say that it helped you to stay alive?"

"What's your point!?" Kibaou demanded. He was probably stressed out by Agil's piercing glare.

"The people who created these strategy guides were beta testers," Agil announced matter-of-factly. It was satisfying to see the colour drain from Kibaou's face. "Listen, information from the beta test was available to everyone. Yes, many people died, but that was also because of mistakes on their part. Anyways, we're holding this meeting to discuss how to defeat the boss, not to antagonise our fellow players."

Knowing that he'd met his match, Kibaou could do nothing but shut up and sit down. Having made his point, Agil also returned to the stands. I resolved to keep an eye on the large man; surely a sensible, bold individual like him would make a great ally down the road.

What followed was a lengthy discussion of Illfang's abilities and our strategies for defeating it. By the end of the meeting, our raid party of approximately forty people had been split into four groups:

First of all, the vanguard consisted of anyone confident enough to play as a tank. Diavel was at the helm of this group; I thought it was a nice gesture for our de facto leader to put himself at the forefront of the raid party.

Secondly, Agil led the team of damage-dealers. Their role was to seize any openings created by the vanguard to attack Illfang as much as they could. Physical size mattered less in a world where stats reigned supreme but some players did find it reassuring to have one of the biggest, buffest individuals in the game leading the way.

If I remember correctly, Kibaou was in charge of the third group. The members of his team were to act as backup for both the tanks and damage-dealers, taking their places when the situation demanded it. Ideally this support group would be composed of well-balanced players who could manage both offensive and defensive playstyles; in reality, I suspect half the players in Kibaou's team were those who couldn't decide which group they wanted to be in.

Last but not least was the diversion squad. As the name suggested, this group was responsible for dealing with the Ruin Kobold Sentinels that spawned at various points of the boss fight. Nobody was keen to take charge so a middle-aged man called Godfree volunteered to act as the leader. Frankly, his mannerisms were a bit over the top but I applaud his willingness to take the lead.

Dale nudged H1. “Buddy. You good?”

“ … I’m going back to the inn. See you guys later.” The younger male walked off without another word.

_I don’t blame him. I’m feeling antsy too._

“He’ll be fine, just give him some space. It’s not like he’s the only one who’s afraid,” Klein told us. Perhaps it was our concerned expressions which prompted him to speak.

Predictably, most people were reluctant to join the vanguard. As a result the Diavel-led team of tanks was short of a few players while there was a shortage of spots on the other squads. With the situation at an impasse, Klein’s four-man band involuntarily volunteered for the unwanted positions.

“Does anyone want to go kill some monsters with me?” Dynamm asked.

Liz raised a brow. “You’re going without a full party? Is that alright?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stick to the area right outside the safe zone. If I keep myself busy, I won’t have to think about the boss fight,” he said with a wink.

“I’ll stay. Knowing him, he’ll want someone to talk to,” Klein spoke while looking in the inn’s direction.

“Guess I’ll keep Dynamm company then. I could really use a distraction myself. Catch you all in a bit.”

And so Klein was the only one left from his group. The man sighed as he massaged the bridge of his nose. “Man, this is the first time I’m not excited for a boss fight.”

“Good luck tomorrow. It sucks that you guys were forced into the vanguard,” Liz remarked.

“Thanks. And it’s alright, I’d be a shitty adult if I let some kid take my place. Well, I gotta go. There’s a chicken skewer with my name on it. At least stress-eating has no consequences in this world. In case I don’t see you two before the boss fight, stay safe out there.”

“You too.” “Take care Klein.”

_Is there anything I can do for them? Even if it’s something minor, I want to help._

Argo and Kirito were on Godfree’s diversion team. It may seem incomprehensible that such capable fighter weren’t leading the charge against the Floor Boss, but the diversion team was in fact the raid party’s lifeline: this group had the unspoken duty of ensuring that our escape route was clear. Additionally, the two beta testers were secretly instructed to act as they saw fit should things go south, and being on the diversion squad allowed for a convenient perspective to survey the battlefield.

This also meant that Liz and I were part of the diversion squad. It was a nice arrangement since our mentor could keep an eye on us in what would be our most difficult battle thus far. Hence, Argo was understandably surprised when I later asked her if I could switch teams and join Diavel's vanguard.

" … You serious? Why?"

"Klein, Dynamm, Dale and H1 are part of the vanguard. I want to be with them for the boss fight," I answered.

"They're the four dudes ya were travellin' with, right?" I nodded. Argo scratched her neck. "Look, I understand how ya feel. But, in a boss raid like this, it doesn’t really matter if yer with them or not. I’m not implyin' that yer weak or anythin', I'm just sayin' that one person very rarely decides the outcome of a boss fight."

“Oh, I’m fully aware that I won’t make much of a difference. I just want to help share their burdens a bit. They’re good people, but they’re also quite nervous and, well, I can’t ignore them. Like you said, it shouldn’t really matter whether I’m in the diversion team or the vanguard so what’s the harm?”

" … Ugh. Fine! I'll work somethin' out," Argo said with an exasperated sigh. "But ya have to promise me somethin'."

"Go ahead … "

"Don't try to be a hero. Beatin' the boss doesn't mean jack shit if you’re dead." Argo rarely looked so serious.

"Look at me Argo. Do I even look like a hero to you?"

"Fair point." The whiskered girl sighed again. I got the distinct feeling that I was a detriment to her health. Liz looked uncertain throughout the entire exchange but she chose not to voice any misgivings.

“Hey Argo, wasn’t there something else you called us here for?” Liz asked. We were currently standing next to the teleport gate in Tolbana Town.

“I was ’bout to get to that. We're goin' back to the Town of Beginnings, I wanna introduce ya two to somebody."

_The Town of Beginnings, huh? It’s been a while._

I was mildly surprised to see a trade window pop up before me. With a questioning look I accepted the hooded cloak Argo gifted me.

“Put those on and equip yer weapons. The Town of Beginnings isn’t a safe place anymore,” Argo warned us.

“How come?” “What happened?”

“People were runnin’ out of Cor by the start of week two. Some desperate idiots thought robbin’ other players would be safer than leavin’ the city to fight monsters. It got pretty ugly for a couple days but I’m told that the situation’s mostly calmed down now. It’s not like there’ll be a thief lurkin’ in every corner waitin’ to ambush us or somethin’, though it’s better to be prepared,” Argo explained.

_My commiserations to those who stayed. They deserve so much better …_

“This is a lot to unpack. I’m glad I chose to leave,” Liz remarked.

“Yeah, that was a wise decision. And now we’re goin’ back there. Don’t worry, if someone tries anythin’ ya can bet I’ll beat ’em black ’n blue.”

* * *

I suppose three armed, hooded figures didn’t make for appealing targets. We reached the stone church in the Town of Beginnings without incident.

“Come on in! It’s good to see you again Argo.”

"Heya Sasha, I brought ya two babysitters."

_Babysitter? I’m not very good with children._

The once empty place of worship now became a shelter for the children trapped in SAO. There was somewhere upwards of thirty children altogether: the youngest seemed no older than eight while the oldest were probably around … Eleven? Twelve? The ‘headmistress’ of this ‘orphanage’ was Sasha, a young yet motherly lady who was close friends with Argo. The bespectacled woman wore a modest navy blue dress and her hair was a deeper shade of brown than Liz’s. Acting as a surrogate mother for thirty-something children must’ve been a very trying task; I deeply respected her willingness to shoulder this heavy burden.

"Here you go." Sasha placed a warm cup of tea before me.

“Thank you.” Entertaining the children was much more tiring than expected and I soon found myself needing a break. Argo probably brought us here to unwind before tomorrow’s boss fight.

“Good luck with the boss raid tomorrow. The children and I will be rooting for you.” Sasha’s voice was soft and soothing. I could listen to her speak for hours.

“Thanks. What’s it like looking after all these kids? It can’t be easy doing that on your own.”

“It’s definitely demanding but we’ve been able to make do so far. I’m not the only one doing all the work here; the older children have been very helpful, and we wouldn’t have lasted this long without Shuichi supporting us.”

“Shuichi?”

"Oh, you call him Clausewitz don't you. I can't leave the children unattended so Shu – Clausewitz's the one who makes sure we have enough money to buy food and pay rent."

_So that’s what he’s been doing all this time. Damn Claws, you’re a legend._

“Argo mentioned that things were pretty bad in the Town of Beginnings a few days ago. Apparently some players got desperate and attacked other people?”

“Yes. I will never forget those days as long as I live,” Sasha said despondently.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m being insensitive. Let’s change topics.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine. Although it’s upsetting, there’s value in talking about what happened.” Sasha sipped from her cup of tea.

“After the first week many players were on the brink of destitution. Some of them formed hunting groups and began to make a living battling monsters. But some people chose to give up. There is a cliff five minutes away from the Town of Beginnings which was a … popular spot for them.”

_I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there’s a cliff’s nearby. Quite a cruel design choice. Or is it mercy?_

“Then there were those who turned on their fellow players. The worst of these people formed marauding bands and went around town harassing – in some cases assaulting – whoever they could find. Some of the marauders even tried to break into this church. Thankfully these doors and windows are indestructible, but they kept banging on the doors well into the night. The children were very frightened.”

“Oh no. I’m so sorry you and the kids had to go through all that. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must’ve been.”

_Without Sasha, where would these children be now?_

“In the end, the marauders were a minority. The other players managed to band together and exiled them from the Town of Beginnings. It was an extremely violent afternoon; even behind these thick walls, we could hear the fighting and the chaos,” Sasha recounted sombrely. “Since then there’s been way fewer cases of players attacking one another but I’d hardly call the Town of Beginnings a safe place. It was also around this time that the beta testers began to be hated. A lot of people were suffering, and when people suffer they look for someone to blame. The beta testers happened to be an easy target.”

“ … Hey, Sasha. Can I give you a hug?”

She smiled. “Yes, I think I could use a hug.”

Claws and Sasha were able to change people’s lives for the better. They were living examples of the person I aspired to be.

_If I can even do half the things they did, my time here will have been spent meaningfully._

"Um, Sasha? It's time to prepare dinner."

The speaker was a little girl whose hair was tied into twin tails, courtesy of a pair of red ring baubles. She glanced at me questioningly; I smiled and nodded at her.

“Oh! So it is. Let’s talk later, I have to cook now.” I gestured for Sasha to go ahead with her business. She turned to face the little girl. “Silica, this is my friend LOL. Please keep him company.”

Silica was an outgoing child and had no problem speaking with a stranger like me. The curious little girl soon began asking me about a variety of things, ranging from the monsters I fought to the places I visited and the people I met. Nothing encourages a speaker more than an enthusiastic listener, and I found myself regaling her with anecdotes of my friends and my travels. Of course, I kept the darker bits to myself.

" … No, you can't play with my Anneal Blade. However, you can try this if you want."

"Can I really drink this?" Silica stared uncertainly at the health potion in her hands. Surely the red liquid must've looked quite ominous to her.

"Yup! It's actually delicious. It kind of tastes like … watermelon juice, yeah. Go ahead, take a biiiiiig gulp. I bet you'll like it."

"I love watermelon juice!" Silica told me cheerily. She happily uncorked the vial and poured the disgustingly bitter fluid into her mouth.

_Sweet, sweet victory._

* * *

** Omake: Two men walked into a bar **

Despite working tirelessly for countless hours, the elderly barkeep continued to prepare beverages at the beck and call of his customers, his face showing no signs of exhaustion. Though the other NPCs had already 'retired' for the day, the bearded old man would still be active for the next hour or so.

"Here's you mead laddie." Klein nodded appreciatively at the barkeep. There was no need to thank the NPC for his services but he was too preoccupied to care.

His alcohol tolerance was not the best (Dynamm called it “pitiful”) and he could ill afford to take on a Floor Boss while hungover, but Klein knew that he would not get any sleep without some alcohol in his system.

_If I die tomorrow, will I have lived a worthwhile life?_

_… Shit. I can't let it end like this. I won't let my parents see my corpse._

He took a good swig from his mug and set it on the table with more force than intended. One way or another, the four of them were walking out of that Floor Boss room.

No, it was the five of them now. LOL would be fighting alongside them as part of the vanguard.

“It’d be super lame if I told people that I fought in the Floor Boss fight without actually fighting the damn thing,” the teenager said while twirling a loose strand of hair. Klein noticed that he had acquired this habit ever since the grey dye was applied to his hair and eyes.

“Dude, you’ve got ninety-nine more Floor Bosses to get up close and personal with. What’s the rush?” Dale pointed out.

“Yeah, but you always remember your first. Besides, at this point it’s a done decision. Hope you guys don’t mind me tagging along for the ride.”

Klein had not lived twenty-four years without learning to read between the lines. He was aware that LOL likely chose to transfer teams for their sakes. Regardless of how his dumb pride felt about being worried over by someone younger, he most certainly appreciated the teen’s sentiments.

"Yo. You're in the raid party aren't you." Klein looked over his shoulder to see a familiar dark-skinned man.

"Yeah. My name's Klein, I'm part of the vanguard."

"I'm Agil. I'm with the DPS team."

“We all know who you are man. By the way,” Klein quickly glanced around to make sure nobody was listening, “thanks for standing up for the beta testers during the boss meeting. A good friend of mine is a beta tester, so …"

“Think nothing of it, that was the least I could do,” Agil replied with a dismissive wave. "Mind if I join you?"

“Take a seat! I’ll buy you a drink. What d’you want? I recommend the Tolbana Mead if you haven’t tried it yet.”

"Well, I am in the mood for something light. Guess I'll have to give it a try!" In no time a second mug, filled to the brim, appeared on the wooden table.

“You’re one of the squad leaders for tomorrow, got anything inspirational to say?” Klein asked with a smirk.

“Putting me on the spot? I see how it is. Alright, real talk: everything will be fine once the fighting starts. Have faith in your abilities, you wouldn’t be here if you aren’t good enough. For now just put up with your nerves. Scary things are scary, not much you can do about that.”

“And how do _you_ put up with your nerves? Asking for a friend.”

“Well, it’s not much but I think about other people who’re going through the same stuff as me. Right now it’s two in the morning. At this moment, I’m sure somebody’s worrying about the same things we’re nervous about. Call it schadenfreude if you want, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one dealing with all this BS. You get what I mean?”

“Yeah. Hey, that was a really neat answer! I’ll drink to that.” The two men clashed tankards.

“This is pretty good.” Agil polished off his mead in a few gulps.

“Glad you like it.”

“Hit me up tomorrow. We’ll celebrate after we kick Illfang’s ass. First round’s on me.”

“Shit, I ain’t gonna say no to that! Don’t you fucking dare die tomorrow.”

“Ha, I’ll do what I can.” The two men chatted briefly before Agil decided to turn in for the night.

_Now I’ve got one more reason to stay alive. Not that I’m complaining._

Klein downed his drink and returned to his room. He was blessed with a restful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently popcorn is one of the world's oldest snacks.
> 
> Argo switches between 'you'/'ya' or 'your'/'yer' depending on how fast she's speaking. For the most part she's a very fast talker.
> 
> In this story Klein is 24 and Agil is 29. I made them older than their canon counterparts (22 and 27 respectively) since the age gap between those two and other characters factor into their interactions.
> 
> I want to focus on Kirito's social awkwardness and loner tendencies, and how the people around him react to his traits. Regardless of what you think of canon Kirito, I hope that my portrayal of him throughout this story will do the character justice.
> 
> Have a wonderful day and stay safe!


	5. His Majesty's execution

Party Status

LOL: lv.6, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Klein: lv.6, equipped with [Sturdy Scimitar]

Dynamm: lv. 6, equipped with [Basic Shield] & [Sturdy Scimitar]

Harry One: lv. 6, equipped with [Hunting Spear]

Dale: lv. 6, equipped with [Basic Cleaver]

* * *

_The palm leaf ceiling fan. It clashed with the aesthetics of my room, but I liked it._

_The oversized Kirby plushie on my bed. I snuggled with it each night._

_The wooden bookshelf next to my cluttered desk. It held an arbitrary assortment of YA novels, manga and history books. A severely outdated Pokémon encyclopaedia was in there somewhere._

_The poster of a VR game called Sword Art Online. I tore it off the door and ripped it to shreds._

_The living room. My living room._

_A vicenarian woman whose smile didn't reach her eyes, her green eyes once so full of life. Every one of her affectionate gestures, every "I love you" felt like hollow attempts at distracting herself from the pain she suffered. Depression clung to the woman like a rain-soaked cloak._

_A pubescent girl with wounds on her face, her arms, her legs. The bullying should've stopped a long time ago but it didn't and she's hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt …_

_I could've done something for them. I would've done something. But I didn't, all because of some myopic impulse to play the hero._

_A broken home and its broken people. Were these my reward or my punishment?_

…

"This is so unfair."

It was the first time I woke up crying. I pressed my blanket against my wet eyes.

"Fuck you, brain. The most important fight of my life is about to happen and you show me a dream like this?"

With a sad laugh I sat up on my bed. Thinking about the upcoming boss battle was a better alternative to bad dreams, but not by much.

* * *

"Come to think of it, I never did get your opinion."

"My opinion on what exactly?" Liz asked.

"Well, Argo made it pretty clear that she wasn't too keen on me joining Klein and the guys up front but you didn't say anything at all."

"I'd be lying if I told you that I'm not worried. At the same time, I get that you want to help our friends so I'll respect your decision. Besides, Argo pretty much said everything I wanted to and then some. What, did you want me to beg you to stay with tears in my eyes?"

"Nah. You've probably got an ugly crying face. Scratch that, it's just an ugly face in general. Ain't that right Kirito?"

"Oh? Is there something you want to tell me, Kirito?"

"H-hey, leave me out of this."

"I'll treat your lack of refusal as agreement," I told him jokingly.

"Get a move on already you asshat. Don't keep them waiting," Liz said with mock annoyance.

"I'll see you guys later then. Unless one of you wants to come see us off?"

"Go ahead. I'll wait for Argo," Liz nudged Kirito as she spoke.

"Thanks, I won't be long," he answered with an appreciative nod.

"Say hi to them for me."

"Will do."

A smiling Klein waved as we approached. "Kirito buddy! Did you come to say goodbye?"

"Please don't say it like that, it sounds ominous," the black-haired boy said while bumping fists with Klein. The older man chuckled apologetically.

"My bad. You two get enough sleep last night?"

"I slept surprisingly well," I answered without missing a beat. Kirito nodded in reply.

"Really? But you've got those huge bags under your eyes … nah, I'm just playing. You don't look any different from usual." Klein smirked and clapped me on the back.

_Hahaha._

"You guys got everything you need? Do you have enough items for the labyrinth and the boss fight?" Kirito asked.

"Yup. We checked, double-checked and triple-checked our stuff. We're as prepared as we'll ever be," H1 answered. He sighed and drummed his fingers on his leg. "It's all in the hands of lady luck now."

"You're on the diversion team aren't you? It's nice to know you've got our backs," Dale told Kirito. Whenever he was stressed, the large man liked to direct his attention towards those around him. "We're counting on you for the boss raid!"

"You can count on me. I won't let you down."

"Love the confidence man! That's what we like to see," Klein, the ever-supportive friend, remarked with a grin. "Do us a favour and say hi to Lisbeth for us."

"Actually, she told me to say hi to you guys so, um, hi?"

" … Hi." Kirito shifted slightly under Klein's blank stare. The good-natured man then laughed and ruffled the teen's hair. "Stay safe bro. We'll see you soon."

"Yeah. You guys take care too."

_I'm glad to see Kirito opening up to us. It really helps that this is such a friendly bunch._

"Dude, thanks for coming." Dynamm's words snapped me out of my thoughts. "I know I've said this before but we really appreciate it."

"You guys don't get to fight the giant dog-faced monster without me. I want in on the fun too." I flashed him a toothy grin.

"Clearly you and I have very different ideas of what 'fun' means," Dynamm commented with a raised brow. "All things considered, going out in a blaze of glory might not be so bad. At least I won't have to work anymore."

"Don't you fucking dare. It's impossible to find anyone half-decent these days," Dale said exasperatedly.

Dyamm smirked. "You know what? A pay raise might motivate me to stay alive."

"The hell? Go die you ingrate."

Fighting our way through the Floor 1 labyrinth served as a much needed warmup. By the time we reached the deepest part of the dungeon, a bunch of people had already gathered before the Floor Boss room. I spotted Diavel in the middle of a conversation with Agil. There was also this short girl with whiskers who seemed insistent on speaking with me.

"Yo! About time ya got here. Ready for the boss fight?" Argo said. She nodded towards my friends in greeting. Liz stood next to her while Kirito spoke with a robed figure a short distance away.

"Of course. Guys, this is Argo. She's my friend and mentor. Argo, these are the people I mentioned. Dude with the shitty bandana is Klein. He's the one Kirito met on the first day."

Klein punched my shoulder lightly. "Leave my bandana alone. Hi Argo! You wrote the strategy guides didn't you? Thank you so much, those things have been a real life-saver! Feel free to call on us if you ever need help. We ain't much but we owe it to you for everything you've done."

"Appreciate the offer. Thanks for takin' care of my children over the last week."

"Since when did you become our mother?" Liz's query went unanswered.

"The durag man is Dynamm. The college dropout is Harry One but everyone calls him H1."

"Who's a dropout now?" H1 poked my leg with the blunt end of his spear.

"Hello, I'm the durag man. I have no other defining traits apparently."

"Don't worry. You're already way more interestin' than Liz and L put together," Argo quipped with a smirk.

"Ass. Last but not least, this big guy is Dale."

"Yo! Those look sick. Are they difficult to use?" Dale was pointing at the claw weapons hanging from Argo's waist.

"Yeah, they've got a pretty steep learnin' curve. That's why most people don't bother with 'em," Argo replied. She looked me in the eye. "L, do ya remember what I told ya yesterday?"

"Something along the lines of 'don't be a hero' right? And I promised that I wouldn't."

"Good. There's not much I can say at this point, so … good luck. I'll see y'all after we win."

"Take care guys. All the best," Liz added.

A group of three backed out of the Illfang raid and that necessitated some quick adjustments, but otherwise everybody else showed up on time. Frankly I expected the number of absentees to be higher.

" … That's all from me. Any questions before we head in?" Diavel addressed the raid party. Everyone seemed reasonably familiar with our tactics for the boss fight which was another encouraging sign. "Alright. I just have one more thing to say: we're going to win this!"

Multiple things in the dungeon could be cut with a knife: the many monsters, us players and the heavy atmosphere. Dynamm sucked in a deep breath and entered the boss room. H1 took care not to hit anyone with his spear as he shuffled in behind Dale.

"Here we go," Klein whispered. I barely heard him over the thumping of my heart.

What better place to commit regicide than a throne room? Seated on a lofty throne at the end of the long rectangular hall was Illfang the Kobold Lord in all His glory. Covered in velvet red fur, the muscular behemoth was a terrifying sight to behold. Yellow reptilian-like eyes watched us closely as He reached for the weapons laying by His throne. With unhurried movements He rose to His full height, carrying a magnificent bone axe in one hand, a great round shield in the other and a large blade on His back. Such composure truly befitted the creature known as the Kobold Lord.

(Long live the king)

Here we were, challenging a ruler and his elite guard on their home turf. A trio of heavily-armoured, mace-wielding Ruin Kobold Sentinels stood before Illfang. They were no larger than the average human but far more deadly. One could only imagine the bloodthirsty expressions that lay beneath their visors.

"Everything matches the intel. We can win this!" Diavel yelled, snapping everyone to attention. "Commence attack!"

Screeching like banshees, the three sentinels charged with reckless abandon. The diversion team intercepted them while the rest of us circled past the bodyguards and went for their master. Seeing us approach Illfang reared back to strike –

"SHIELDS UP!"

At Diavel's command Dynamm and three other players raised their shields in unison. A grating noise rang out as the Kobold Lord dragged His bone axe across the shield wall but the stout defence held. Seizing the gap between Illfang's attacks, Agil's team of damage-dealers rushed in and unleashed a barrage of Sword Skills. For a brief moment Illfang looked overwhelmed but the behemoth quickly recovered.

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" Agil shouted. With a bloodthirsty roar the Kobold King moved to bring His fury upon the fleeing attackers –

The creature looked down to see H1's spear sticking out from its torso. Additionally there was a pair of slash wounds courtesy of Klein and me.

"Fuck. He looks mad."

_Astute observation Harry!_

Fortunately, we did our job of stopping Illfang from pursuing our allies.

Unfortunately, we were now the focus of the boss monster's ire.

Now it was our turn to run for dear life. The huge bone axe descended on us rapidly but was stopped by the combination of Dale's cleaver, Diavel's shield and a third player's war hammer.

"That's it! Keep it up!" Diavel said as he helped parry another blow. I took a moment to catch my breath. The vanguard absorbed the brunt of Illfang's assaults while the damage-dealers attacked in quick, short bursts. Klein, H1 and I provoked Illfang to cover the attackers' retreat, and our cycle of attrition began anew. Kibaou's team kept the cycle going by replacing those players who needed to heal or rest.

As the battle raged on we gradually grew confident: our movements became sharper, our forays more daring. Slowly yet surely Illfang was losing this gruelling battle of attrition. Not even the Kobold Lord, fighting earnestly, could repel the swarm of ants gnawing at His flesh.

With a feral roar the Kobold Lord threw His axe and shield to the side. Now that the second health bar was depleted Illfang would switch to the giant blade on its back – a talwar, we were told.

"H-hold on! Isn't that a nodachi? I thought Illfang was supposed to use some kind of one-handed sword!" Dale said worriedly. The Kobold Lord gripped the Japanese-style blade with both hands and adopted a posture reminiscent of the _Ko Gasumi_ stance.

"That's what I thought too," H1 muttered under his breath.

_So the information was outdated after all. What now Diavel?_

Perhaps retreating was the safest option but the raid party's morale would suffer, and the issue that was Illfang's unknown second phase would remain unresolved. Moreover, a clean escape was impossible until the diversion team dealt with the new wave of Ruin Kobold Sentinels that had just appeared. At least we were in a good enough condition to test the waters a bit.

"Look alive people! We'll take our time to figure things out!" Diavel bellowed. He certainly deserved much credit for keeping his voice loud and clear throughout the entire battle. "Kibaou, your team's on standby! Agil, attack on my signal! Vanguard, follow me!"

Our shield-bearers barely got their guard up in time as Illfang let loose two swift horizontal slashes. The Kobold Lord then lifted His sword overhead, and the four players quickly formed a line before raising their shields skywards. Judging by Dynamm's expression, the impact was less severe than he anticipated. It seemed that, by changing weapons, Illfang had foregone some of its incredible offensive power for greater attack speed.

"Good job! Keep blocking his attacks! Second row, we're up next! Third row, play defensively for now! Forget about attacking!"

"Yes sir!/Understood!" H1 and Klein replied respectively.

" … Switch!" Diavel, Dale and the player with a war hammer (aka hammer bro) jumped into the fray once more. The Kobold Lord took a step back, shifting His momentum to the hind leg while bringing His nodachi to the side –

"Scatter!" Dale and hammer bro leapt to the left while Diavel ran to the right. Though the rest of us were safely out of range, watching the tip of Illfang's blade fly towards us made me sweat a little. Alarm bells went off in my head as the behemoth turned its murderous gaze towards our blue-haired leader.

"WATCH OUT!" Somebody yelled. Diavel dropped to a crouch, narrowly avoiding the sudden sweeping strike. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. He quickly regrouped with the other two and they successfully staved off Illfang's next attack.

"Third row, prepare to jump in! Agil, attack at will!"

"You heard the man! Get ready!" Agil yelled.

_Good. If he's telling Agil to act it means he's got a read on Illfang's patterns._

After another botched attack the Kobold Lord hopped back to create some distance; Agil's group did not pass up on the opportunity. Like a swarm of angry hornets they converged on the monster.

Just as a cornered rat will bite back, a trapped boss monster may respond with a devastating attack. The Kobold Lord spun around to unleash a slashing attack which sent everyone around Him flying. The downed players lay in a circle around Illfang. Each of them was afflicted with the [Stunned] condition; unable to move until the status effect wore off, they could do little but tremble before their executor. Such was the fate of those who opposed His Majesty.

"VANGUARD, ADVANCE!" Following Diavel's lead, we charged at the very monstrosity that had, seconds ago, demolished our allies with a single strike. It must've looked as if we had a death wish. "Third row and I will stall Illfang! First row, second row, get those guys outta there!"

_Shit, shit, SHIT!_

Diavel's blade left a wide cut on Illfang's gut. Nodachi held in reverse grip, the enraged kobold stabbed downwards but Diavel scurried out of the way. Our leader caught the next strike with his shield, though the impact sent him backpedalling. Illfang stepped forth, intent on skewering the blue-haired player –

"Switch!" Klein and I swung our swords in an arc, my Anneal Blade shining blue while Klein's scimitar glowed red. With the spearhead radiating a yellow light H1 thrust his spear forward. Our weapons slammed into the flat side of Illfang's nodachi, knocking it off course enough that it missed its mark.

With Agil's team temporarily out of commission Kibaou's group took over their offensive role. 'Seesaw battle' would be a good term to describe Illfang's second phase: there were multiple moments when I was convinced that someone was going to die but somehow we all managed pull through. Once our incapacitated allies returned to normal, the momentum slowly shifted back to our side. Illfang never got to unleash its special move again: we (correctly) conjectured that the attack would only trigger if the boss monster was closely surrounded so careful positioning allowed us to avoid that particular outcome.

The Kobold Lord's final health bar was reduced to a small, pitiable chunk. The end of our violent struggle was literally in sight.

"Everyone stay back! I'll finish this!" Diavel yelled while charging up a mighty attack. A beautiful blue light enveloped his blade. The other players stayed put and watched as he ran ahead; it was unclear whether obedience or confusion made them comply with the strange command.

One person, however, went against our raid leader's words and chased after him.

That was me. Seeing Diavel run off on his own filled me with an overwhelming sense of dread; my body was already moving before I realised what I was doing. What was I hoping to accomplish by going after him? I didn't know myself.

Apparently Klein tried to grab me but missed. H1 stopped him from pursuing me.

Diavel leapt. All he had to do was plunge his sword into Illfang's throat and the monster would fall. And plunge he did.

The blade pierced through thin air. To our horror, Illfang jumped back before the attack could connect. The blue light coating Diavel's weapon dissipated; frozen in place, he watched helplessly as the monster sprang high up into the air.

Having closed the distance between Diavel and myself, I threw my Anneal Blade to the side and reached for him.

The Kobold Lord reached the apex of His jump. My hands fastened onto the defenceless man.

Illfang descended rapidly. It swung its nodachi as it landed.

_Oh. So this is it, huh._

Lying on the ground with a horrified expression was Diavel. Through a stroke of luck, I managed to half-fling, half-shove him out of the way. I glanced at my fully depleted HP bar …

Then the world turned black.

* * *

Just kidding!

Illfang's nodachi slammed into the ground right next to my body, the sheer impact almost throwing me off my feet. Diavel was thankfully unscathed; my frantic efforts had paid off.

Desperate screams filled my ears, and I saw a flash of silver out of the corner of my eye –

***WHAM!***

That was the sound of my body colliding into one of the chamber's stone walls at a speed nobody should move at. Losing focus during the fight was a classic rookie mistake.

_A-am I alive?_

Despite the lack of pain, my head was spinning from the heavy impact. I struggled to even prop myself up with my wobbly limbs. If Illfang wanted to finish me off there was nothing I could do.

_I'm out of the fight. At this point I'm either a liability or a casualty._

The dizziness started to subside. Leaning against the stone wall, I reached for the health potion at my waist. Somehow the glass vial remained intact throughout all the mayhem.

_My HP's in the red. If that attack hit my neck or my head …_

A pained howl grabbed my attention; I looked up to see Illfang swaying unsteadily. The Kobold Lord weakly raised its nodachi but the weapon fell from His grasp and onto the marble floor. Both creature and weapon shattered into tiny fragments.

Standing before its fading remains were Kirito and Argo. Judging from their posture, they were clearly responsible for landing the final blow.

_Aha. Nicely done._

I gulped down the potion in my hand, almost choking on the bitter liquid.

_We're supposed to do this ninety-nine more times? That's crazy._

"Are you alright!?" I looked up to see a very concerned Diavel.

"Yup. Still alive." He exhaled in relief.

"You saved me. I owe you my life."

"Well, it was either you or me, and frankly – "

"You _fucking_ dumbass!" A familiar voice rang out from my side.

_Oh. Crapbuckets._

"Hey, Klein."

"Don't you 'hey' me! What the hell were you thinking!?" He practically roared. His furious tone made me wince.

"It was, um, gut instinct," I blurted out. Of course, the irony of this whole incident was that I wasn't thinking to begin with. Though I was certain Klein wouldn't take it well if I told him that.

"I was so worried! I won't deny that things ended well this time but you won't always be so lucky. Promise me that you won't pull some dumb shit like this anymore, alright?" Klein said. His forehead pressed against the palm of his hand. It was painful to see his distraught expression, more so because I was the cause.

"I won't, I promise. And I'm sorry for making you guys worry." Regardless of results, it was true that my thoughtless actions caused my teammates no small amount of stress.

_Still, what was that just now? It almost felt like my body moved on its own. No, that's impossible._

Dynamm helped me to my feet. He didn't seem particularly happy or sad; the poor man just looked utterly exhausted. "You good? Can you walk?"

"Mhm."

Cheers and laughter filled the boss room. People were high-fiving, hugging or simply trading exuberant words. I saw someone literally jumping for joy. Dale walked up to us with a toothy smile. H1 was the happiest I'd ever seen him. Quite a few enthusiastic players were talking with Kirito and Argo, the heroic duo who – I was later told – ended the fight with an amazing display of skill. Kirito, being the shyer of the two, was content to let Argo handle the conversation. Not a single person wasn't ecstatic about our hard-earned victory.

"SHUT UP!"

Apparently I was mistaken. (You'll hear me say this a lot)

The cheerful chatter died down. We all watched an indignant Kibaou storm towards Argo and Kirito; those in his path quickly moved to the side.

"You! You're the one who gave Diavel all the info about the boss right!? Kibaou rudely jabbed a finger at Argo; she calmly met his glare. Kirito looked unnerved by the man's hostility.

"Yup. Wassup?" Judging by her annoyed expression she likely had a good idea what was about to happen.

"You lied about Illfang's second phase! Because of you, Diavel and that other guy almost died! I bet you and your friend were planning to hog all the glory to yourselves, that's why you set Diavel up to fail!"

"Look, I didn't lie 'bout anythin'. Nobody knew that Illfang was gonna use a different weapon. If ya wanna blame someone, blame Kayaba Akihiko for changin' stuff to screw with us!" Argo retorted. Knowing her, she was probably resisting the urge to roll her eyes. A wave of confused murmurs passed through the crowd of onlookers; it seemed like most of the other players weren't sure what to make of the argument at hand.

"Don't give me that crap! Admit it, you beta testers are conspiring together to exploit the rest of us!" Kibaou roared. Seeing the furious man move closer prompted Kirito to step in front of Argo protectively. It was a very brave thing to do considering his discomfort; without a doubt, this was the moment I truly came to appreciate him.

"That's enough! This is a waste of time," Diavel loudly interjected as he strode forward. The crowd's attention, as well as Kibaou's and Argo's, shifted towards him. "We only managed to defeat Illfang because everyone here contributed. Beta testers, normal players, we all need to work together to beat this game. Tearing into each other won't do us any good."

"But the beta testers are untrustworthy! How do you expect us to cooperate with those lying, manipulative assholes!?" Kibaou protested. His tone was noticeably softer when speaking with the blue-haired player.

"Anyone who risked their life today is trustworthy to me, beta tester or not. Kibaou, please drop this. If you won't trust the beta testers, at least have some faith in me."

The bad-tempered man relented reluctantly; it appeared that his admiration for our de facto leader outweighed his hatred for the beta testers. Argo and Kirito were first to leave the boss room, departing almost immediately once the unwanted conversation ended. Later, the rest of the raid party gradually filtered out of the giant chamber and ascended to the second floor of Aincrad.

* * *

Message Log

_From: Argo_

_Text: We need to talk ASAP. Come to my room with Liz_

* * *

" … I see, so that's what happened. I saw you slamming into the wall but I couldn't tell who it was from where I was standing," Liz recounted as we walked. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too, Liz. Me too."

"Still, it was pretty reckless of you to run off like that," she said in the reprimanding tone of a disappointed parent.

"Yeah, I know. I kinda realised that when Klein yelled at me."

"He yelled at you? Wow. That's … rare."

"It really is! And I'm pretty sure Argo's going to yell at me as well."

"Didn't you promise her that you wouldn't do anything stupid?"

"She literally told me not to be a hero," I groaned.

"Uh oh. You'll be missed."

_Welp. I totally deserve any complaints she have for me._

All I could do was sigh in resignation. "By the way, how did Kirito and Argo end up killing the Floor Boss? I didn't get to see what happened."

"Oh, at that point we'd already beaten all of the Ruin Kobold Sentinels so we were watching you guys fight Illfang. Right when Diavel's lunge-attack-thing missed, Argo and Kirito started running. It was really sudden too, Argo was like _'stay here!'_ and then they took off."

_Argo did mention that she and Kirito joined the diversion team so that they could keep an eye on everyone else._

Unexpectedly, Claws was the one who answered the door to Argo's room. It was then I witnessed one of the more bizarre moments of my time in Aincrad: a furious Argo punched Diavel in the gut, dropping him onto his knees. Liz and I watched the violent act in shock.

"Ya greedy little shit! Is the [Last Attack Bonus] so damned important!?" Argo yelled as she grabbed Diavel by the collar. "Ya almost killed my friend, Masaru!"

Winded, Diavel was barely able to get the words out of his mouth. "I-I'm sorry. I screwed up horribly."

"Don't worry, this is his just deserts," Claws told us coldly. The blue-haired young man hung his head in shame.

"Um, I don't understand," Liz said.

"Correct me if I'm mistaken: towards the end of the boss fight, Diavel chose to engage Illfang alone, yes?" Claws questioned. I nodded in reply. "Do you not find that odd at all? There was no need to depart from group tactics. His decision was both unnecessary and risky."

_Come to think of it, that was quite strange …_

"Do I have to do all the talking or are you going to own up to your mistakes?" Though he remained expressionless all this time, there was no mistaking the venom in Claw's voice.

Diavel met my gaze. It was the first time I saw fear on his face. "I … was greedy. I wanted the L.A. Bonus for myself, and I thought I could beat Illfang on my own. I'm sorry, LOL. You could've died because of my carelessness."

A player who dealt the killing blow to a boss-class monster would receive a special reward known as the Last Attack Bonus which typically manifested as a powerful, unique item. For an MMO, the L.A. Bonus was an eccentric game mechanic which discouraged teamplay, as evident from Diavel's actions during the boss fight.

"Hey, do the other players know what Diavel did?" Liz asked. "He's supposed to be our leader but if they realised that he almost screwed someone over because of his selfishness then – oh no."

The implications were worrying: if people learned the truth and refused to acknowledge Diavel as our leader, the resulting leadership vacuum could mean serious trouble for our newly formed raid party. Defeating the first Floor Boss without any casualties was supposed to be a grand achievement but now there was the possibility of unexpected complications.

Why does 'trouble' always lurk in the shadows of 'success' and 'progress' like some jealous ex?

"No one's accusin' him of anythin' yet, although I can think of some people who might've caught on. Guess we'll find out sooner or later," Argo replied in an irritated tone. The polar opposite of Claws, who was a personification of the word 'stoic', my mentor wore her emotions on her sleeve. She shot a glare at Diavel. "The real question is, what do we do with him? L, Liz, any thoughts?"

I had not envisioned the challenge of laying down judgement in a lawless land.

_Can he be trusted? I don't know him well enough to make an informed decision._

"Hey, Diavel. You nearly got me killed, and you might've jeopardised the raid party's unity," I stated with the nonchalance of someone talking about the weather. "It's definitely not a good look. So, what're you going to do about it?"

"I … won't make any excuses. I completely neglected my responsibility. I understand if you can't trust me anymore – but please, give me one more chance! I know I can do right this time. I swear!" Diavel pleaded desperately.

Apologies are a funny thing.

When I was twelve, my aunt's boyfriend told me that "people often apologise about something they regret, only to repeat that same mistake later". It was a rather harsh thing to say to a child, but it was something I really took to heart, possibly because I'd seen it play out surprisingly frequently.

(At the very least, I've been guilty of that on multiple occasions)

While I didn't bear a grudge against Diavel for endangering my life, I also didn't know him well enough to trust his apology. It wouldn't surprise me if he made a similar screw up in the future. However …

"Obviously I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm willing to give you another chance Diavel. If you want our forgiveness, you'll have to prove that you're more than a bunch of regretful words."

I couldn't allow my cynicism (cowardice?) to rob others of their chance to grow. I suppose deep down I've always been a sappy romantic who believes in the inherent goodness of people.

The others seemed satisfied with what I said. Diavel vowed to do better and was sent away with a few more warning words from Argo and Claws.

"Was that the right call?" I wondered out loud.

"I'm sure he's learned his lesson. Diavel ain't a bad person, he just got overconfident and fucked up stupidly. Anyways, I think we've talked enough 'bout him. Why don't we discuss the suicidal idiot who almost got himself killed instead?" Argo shot me a glare. I braced myself as the shorter girl took a deep breath – then visibly deflated.

"Fuckin' hell. I don't even have the energy to scream at ya." She hit me in the arm. Her punch felt … tired. "Don't do that again. I'm grateful that ya saved my friend but please take better care of yerself. I don't want anythin' bad happenin' to ya."

"I'm sorry for making you worry. I … wasn't really thinking back then, and I recognise the fact that I got extremely lucky," I replied. Argo rubbed the back of her neck as she sighed.

"Ya broke one promise already. I'll be pissed off if ya break this one as well."

"I'm sure neither of us wants that so I'll definitely be careful about, well, being careful."

"I'll hold ya to that. Hey! All that stuff aside, we beat the Floor Boss and nobody died! Both of ya were amazin' today. I know I say this all the time but I'm proud of ya'll – I really am," Argo told us with a wide smile.

"Gotta say, surviving a Floor Boss is one hell of a confidence booster. I mean, everything else we've fought just pales in comparison," Liz commented.

"Don't get cocky though. You don't want to make it past Illfang only to die to something stupid like … animated grass or something," I said.

"The man makes a good point. I'll keep that in mind. Also, you probably shouldn't sleep on grass. 'Animated grass' actually sounds like it could be kind of scary."

"But sleeping on grass is pretty comfortable," Argo piped up. "Shitty jokes aside, there's somethin' we need to talk about. If it's fine with ya two, I'd like to go off on my own for a bit."

"How come? We only just got back together," Liz asked. She sounded a little sad.

"I'm worried 'bout Kii-bou. Last I checked, he'd already left [Urbus] and was headin' towards the next safe zone. I wanna go make sure he's doin' alright," Argo explained.

After defeating Illfang, those who climbed the stairs up to the 2nd Floor found themselves before the city of Urbus, a large settlement which sat on a seemingly endless savanna. Most of the raid party players had chosen to spend the rest of the day recuperating and celebrating there.

"Why'd he leave so quickly – oh." Liz's expression soured upon realisation. "It's because of Kibaou's accusations right?"

"Bingo. Stayin' in the same place as people who make it their mission to hate ya is just askin' for trouble. Besides, knowin' Kii-bou, he probably doesn't want any of his friends to get involved with the whole beta-tester mess. That's just the kinda person he is."

"I see. By any chance, do you share his sentiments?" I asked Argo.

"What do ya mean?" She was pretty good at putting on a poker face.

"Are you splitting the party now because you want to protect us from people who suspect you of misinformation? You're worried that they'll go after Liz and me if they see us being friendly with you, am I right?" 

"Ya know, I wasn't lying when I said that I wanted to check on Kii-bou."

"I didn't say that you were."

_We both know that you aren't answering my question so stop deflecting._

"Can I say something?" Liz interjected. "Argo, we won't stop you from doing what you think is right. Before you leave, can you help us pass on a message to Kirito?"

"Of course. Is it a confession?" Argo said mischievously.

"Hmm. I guess it is a confession of sorts," Liz stated thoughtfully. Her reply caused Argo to perk up. "Don't forget what I'm about to say, okay? Look. A group of idiots treating you beta testers as the enemy won't change things between us. We will forever be on your side, even if the entire playerbase turns against you. A certain beta tester saved my life and I swore that I'd repay her, no matter the consequences."

Liz stared Argo in the eye as she uttered each word.

" … Heh. Are ya sure that was supposed to be a message to Kii-bou?"

"He's one of the intended recipients. Argo, I understand that you've got a lot on your mind right now. Take some time to think things through, but if you take too long we'll probably start pestering you."

"Guess I better do some thinkin' real soon then. Thanks for tellin' me how ya feel, I'm glad I heard all of that. Well, I gotta get goin' or else it'll be difficult to catch up to Kii-bou. See ya later!"

_The celebrations will be less lively without you around. What a pity._

Shortly after Argo left Claws decided to excuse himself, stating that he had business back in the Town of Beginnings.

"Thank you. You handled that more maturely than I would've," I said to Liz. "I was too focused on trying to convince Argo. I really should've given her a bit of breathing – or I guess thinking – room."

"Your approach wasn't all that bad. It's important to share our concerns and confront them together as a group. However, it's also important to give people some space so that they can form their own conclusions."

"Yeah, you're right. Completely changing topics, are you doing anything this evening?"

"We're definitely spending time with Kleing and the guys, right? I'd like to get our preparations for tomorrow out of the way as well. Why do you ask?"

"Most of the raid party people are going to be in Urbus tonight. It's a good opportunity to meet people, maybe even make an ally or a few," I pointed out.

"Right. I'm not the biggest fan of crowds but I guess socialising with the other players every now and then can be helpful. Oh! If it's about finding allies, I've got someone in mind. Let's go pay her a visit."

"Sounds good. Lead the way."

* * *

**Omake: Blessed with loyalty**

_Maybe it's better like this._

Argo's hood was up before she even left her room.

Kibaou's little stunt after the boss fight effectively painted a target on her back. The silver lining was that not too many people seemed to buy into his hateful rhetoric – yet. People's hearts were fickle; a few rumours could easily turn indifference into animosity.

_I've gotta find Kii-bou ASAP. Then we'll lay low for a bit._

Her footsteps were quick, yet she took care not to move too quickly that she'd draw attention to herself. As she neared the city gates, a familiar red bandana caught her eye.

Argo hesitated.

If her 'enemies' saw her talking with Klein, it could lead to disastrous consequences for the man and his friends. On the other hand, it was very possible that she wouldn't see him for a very long time …

She reasoned (hoped) that a few parting words would be fine. Besides, she was wearing a cloak. So she stealthily snuck up behind the unsuspecting man …

"Yo!"

"Woah! Oh, it's you. You scared me!"

"That was the point. Good work out there today, where's the rest of your friends?"

"They're at the inn. I'm headed there myself. Um, I'm sorry. We should've kept L safe but he almost got killed and – "

"No, no. It wasn't you guys' fault. No need to feel responsible. It all worked out in the end anyways."

"That's true." Klein was clearly relieved to learn that the girl did not blame him for their mutual friend's brush with death. "By the way, do you know where Kirito is? He hasn't responded to any of my messages."

"He's already left town. I'm goin' to try catchin' up to him."

"Oh, that explains that. Be careful out there, I don't wanna scare you or anything but watch out for people like Kibaou," Klein warned solemnly.

"Yeah, I know. I'll keep an eye out."

"It seriously sucks that they're making you out to be the villain despite everything you've done for us. If any of those ungrateful little shits give you trouble, you can always come to us." Argo could easily tell that the man really meant it when he offered his assistance.

_I think I get why Kii-bou and L are so fond of this guy now._

"Thanks. Ya know, we'd all have an easier time if there were more people like ya around."

"Damn! That's probably one of the best compliments I've ever gotten," Klein said happily. "Take care, I'll see you around."

"Bye-bye!"

Argo sighed.

The more her friends insisted that they would not abandon her, the more she feared getting them caught up in her messy circumstances. She reached out to two helpless players on the first day because she wanted to help them; allowing LOL and Lisbeth to be involved in her (practically one-sided) quarrel with Kibaou was decidedly NOT helping them.

On the other hand, telling her friends that she planned to stay away for their sakes would likely lead to them protesting her decision. Argo noted how LOL, who seemed to have an inkling of her thoughts, looked as if he was prepared to do exactly that. Sadly, her friends' reassurances were no deterrent against the very real risks she faced.

The most extreme solution would be cutting ties with her friends but she certainly could not bring herself to pursue that option.

_Liz told me to think things through but I ain't gettin' anywhere. Ugh, I hate this._

She was determined that her friends should not suffer on her account. Yet, the more she thought about her dilemma, the more staying away seemed like an unfeasible option.

_Wait –_

_Oh. That's right, I should've realised from the start._

Argo could not help but laugh. The answer was staring her in the face all this time.

Her friends had made it emphatically clear that they would not abandon her. No matter what she did, they would not stop caring for her. They would aid her if she needed help, even if she never asked for their assistance. If she tried to isolate herself from them, they would probably try to track them down, resulting in a farcical cat-and-mouse game which really benefitted nobody.

In other words, there was never a dilemma to begin with.

_Oh well. I'm blessed to have these idiots as friends._

Now it was her job to tell Kirito the truth. Surely the kind-hearted boy was struggling with the same thoughts she'd just been dealing with.

Argo walked out of the safe zone with a spring to her step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argo wouldn't allow Asuna (or Lisbeth) to fight Illfang, which is why she and Kirito were the ones who dealt the finishing blow.
> 
> There's a lot more I want to say here but I can't remember any of it.
> 
> By the way, if you're looking for another SAO fic, I strongly recommend Retribution by wild_moors. It's a beautifully written Heathcliff-centric story which adds a lot of depth to that character. Also, it's a completed fic so no need to wait for uploads.
> 
> Have a wonderful day!


	6. Our fellow players

Party Status

LOL: lv.7, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

Lisbeth: lv.7, equipped with [Anneal Blade]

?: lv. 7, equipped with [Wind Fleuret] (rapier)

* * *

"How did you find me? I never gave you my location."

"People who are registered as friends can track each other down. I can help you turn that feature off if it bothers you," Liz offered.

I found myself staring back at a pair of hazel eyes.

"He's with me. This guy is also friends with Argo and Kirito," Liz told her acquaintance.

"I see. Well, come in." The chestnut-haired girl invited us into her room. Beneath the red robe which covered much of her body was a cream-coloured tunic. I did not miss the unsheathed rapier in her right hand.

_Better safe than sorry I guess._

Her name was Asuna. She had fought alongside Argo, Kirito and Liz during the Illfang raid.

"So, how can I help you two?" Asuna asked. There was a satisfying click as her beautiful green blade slipped into its sheath.

"We just came to check up on you," Liz answered. "How're you holding up? That boss fight was … a lot."

"I'm fine, thank you. Just a little tired." Asuna seemed to be picking her next words carefully. "That spikey-haired player – Kibaou, was it? It's a shame that he turned on Kirito and Argo like that. I don't claim to know your friends well but even I could tell that they were innocent."

"It makes me happy to hear you say that! Kirito's already left Urbus. Argo's gone after him. Knowing her, I'm sure she'll catch up to him soon enough."

"Actually, Kirito sent me a message earlier. He told me to join a guild if someone I trusted invited me to one. Bold of him to assume that I would understand what he meant."

" _Pfft_! … Sorry."

_Oops. I thought it was a joke._

"He also mentioned that there's an absolute limit to what I can accomplish as a solo player and the Floor Boss battle made that clear to me." Asuna took a deep breath. "This is a little sudden but if it's alright with you two, may I join your party?"

"Of course! We'd love to have you. Times like these we gotta look out for each other," Liz replied, beaming.

"Yeah, what she said. We'll be in your care Asuna," I added.

A faint smile graced her lips. "Then I look forward to working with you."

…

"Um, so what now?"

* * *

Aincrad's second floor was significantly warmer than its first. The NPCs in Urbus were dressed differently to reflect this: most of the townsfolk wore light short-sleeved clothing. At most they wore a thin leather vest. I wasn't a huge fan of this tropical climate or the dry savanna winds that made my skin itch.

" … Yup, and that's how I ended up with Freckles and Whiskers."

"That's a horrible nickname you prick!" Liz complained as she slapped my arm.

"It sounds like you two trusted Argo quite easily. I would've hesitated if a complete stranger invited me to partner up with them," Asuna commented.

"It's not like we had the luxury to be picky," Liz said with a shrug. "Also, at its core SAO is still an MMO so forming a party with complete strangers doesn't feel too strange. No pun intended."

"Sorry, I don't understand. What is an MMO?"

"Okay, so an MMO is an online game which many people can play together. It's very common for people who've never met to team up in these kind of games," Liz explained. "Even though SAO is a death game, it still exists in the form of an MMO. That's why, for some of us, working with people we don't know feels normal. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, I think I get the idea." There was a brief silence before Asuna spoke to me. "Wait a minute. If you're in the same party as Lisbeth and Argo, does that mean you participated in the boss fight as well? I don't remember seeing you on the diversion team."

"That's because I was part of the vanguard."

"Specifically he's the guy who got slapped into a wall. Remember? At the end of the fight?" Liz added.

"Yes, of course. It's a miracle that you survived."

_Am I going to be known as the dude who got his ass whooped from now on?_

"Miracles don't come cheap. I've probably used up my whole reserve of good luck so I'll be relying on you until I get some more," I told Asuna with a grin.

"I doubt any level of skill can compensate for that kind of luck," she replied. Prior to meeting her, Liz mentioned that Asuna wasn't very talkative but our new companion appeared to be more affable than I expected. "Look, we're here."

Most of the raid party had gathered in the large city square to celebrate our victory over Illfang. Some street vendors had set up shop in the area. The mouth-watering scent of grilled meat drew in customers like moths to a flame; no doubt the NPC merchants would return home with their pockets filled to the brim with Cor.

(H1 would probably say something about robbing the NPC vendors)

An ensemble of red-faced men performed a drunken rendition of We Are the Champions. There was far more screaming and a lot less singing compared to the original. Nevertheless, the men were clearly having a great time. They deserved all the fun in the world after putting their lives on the line.

_Alright! Time to get to work._

Liz winced upon taking in the rambunctious rabble before her. She was never good with crowds but didn't want to miss the opportunity to socialise with our fellow front line players. The evening's celebrations presented an invaluable opportunity to make some useful connections; a friend in the right place could mean the difference between success and defeat (death).

That, and there was something else we wanted to accomplish.

"You really didn't need to force yourself to come," I said to Liz.

"You're saying this now? It's fine. We're a team, aren't we? I've got to pull my weight sometimes."

"Well, you've got _quite_ a bit to pull around – "

"Shut. Up."

We soon found Diavel chatting with ten or so people, Kibaou included. The blue-haired teen received a tankard from another boy his age, raised the drinkware up while saying a few words and proceeded to down the beverage in one go as his friends (?) cheered him on. Judging by his agonised expression and the impressed looks from those around him, the drink must've been quite unpleasant.

Apparently the other players weren't aware of Diavel's near-fatal error. If anything, the successful boss raid seemed to have cemented his standing among the raid party members; some of the nearby people looked as if they wanted to speak with our de facto leader yet were too shy to approach him.

_Aha. I can milk you._

I walked up to Diavel. His smile faltered upon seeing me.

"H-hey LOL! Um, good to see you! Buddy."

_Yikes. Let's try this again._

"Man, I haven't seen you since the boss fight! I'm glad I managed to find you."

Diavel got the hint, quickly reverting to his confident persona as we made small talk. He draped an arm over my shoulder and turned to face the players around us.

"Everyone! You all saw what he did. We witnessed this guy – no, this mad lad put his life on the line to save me. Which he did! Give it up for LOL, the real MVP of the Illfang raid!"

It was a joyous occasion to begin with so the cheers and applause came easily. Diavel's friends quickly treated me as one of their own: they spoke freely with me, clapped me on the back several times, cracked jokes and made me recount my near-death experience. It was a memory which required no embellishment.

(The fact that I had disobeyed orders was conveniently ignored)

A broad-shouldered, middle-aged man chatted with Liz and Asuna. I recognised him as Godfree, the leader of the diversion team which my friends belonged to. I didn't hear much of their conversation, though I distinctly remember Asuna commenting that exchanging friend requests was similar to swapping business cards. Godfree laughed and said something along the lines of 'old habits die hard'.

Eventually Diavel left to mingle with others in the vicinity. Most of his friends went with him; Godfree was busy speaking with my companions while Kibaou and a younger man named Lind seemed to have some business with me. Arms crossed, Kibaou looked me up and down as if he were an appraiser and I were some sort of antique. I felt a little self-conscious under his close gaze. "You ain't bad, kid. Not bad at all. Alright, you pass."

"I wasn't aware that I was being tested."

_All this talk about passing and we aren't even in a school._

"Look, Imma get straight to the point. Diavel's the main reason why we even got past the first Floor. We're gonna need his leadership if we wanna get outta here, which means we have to do all we can to protect him."

"Sure. I agree that Diavel's an integral member of the raid team who played an important part in the Illfang raid," I replied. I was keenly aware that Liz, Asuna and Godfree were listening to our conversation.

This time it was Lind who spoke. The younger man's smile did little to put me at ease. "I'm glad we see eye to eye. You did an amazing job saving Diavel and we can't thank you enough for that. Unfortunately, there's another source of danger that we still need to deal with."

_I don't think I like where this is going._

"Ah! You must be talking about the Floor Bosses. Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep Diavel safe."

"That's not – I mean, yes, the Floor Bosses are dangerous but I'm talking about the beta testers. Those people are selfish, deceitful and probably stronger than the average new player. We can't afford to drop our guard around them." Lind's words were hardly unexpected. That did not make them any less alarming.

"Excuse me for asking but why are you so suspicious of the beta testers? Did they do something to earn your mistrust?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Hmph! I guess you haven't heard about what happened in the Town of Beginnings," Kibaou said. I shook my head. "Some time ago, many of the people there were low on Cor so they started farming the weaker mobs outside the safe zone. Problem was, there weren't enough resources for everybody. What do you think happened next?"

"Nothing good, I assume."

"Exactly! One day, a group of beta testers hogged some of the safest hunting spots all to themselves. Those selfish fuckers even attacked other people who went near them! Thanks to those self-serving assholes a lot of the newer players were forced to go to the more dangerous areas. Some of them never made it back to town." Kibaou's voice rose as he ranted on.

_Interesting. I should verify this story with Argo or Claws later._

"That's only the tip of the iceberg," Lind interjected. "Later on, a bunch of people got desperate and ended up attacking other people in the Town of Beginnings – did you hear about that?"

"Yes, I have." Sasha had spoken about the marauders previously.

"Even then, the beta testers did absolutely nothing. It was up to us new players to fight those people off. All this time the beta testers never helped anyone other than themselves; of course we'd be suspicious of them!"

Trying to convince Kibaou and Lind otherwise would likely be futile. Given the duo's steadfast animosity, objecting would probably do little but fan the flames of their hostility.

"I see, that explains a lot. So what exactly are you planning to do about this, um, situation with the beta testers?" With no idea how to navigate the ongoing dialogue I decided to keep asking questions to give myself some breathing (thinking?) space.

Kibaou's eyes glinted with malice. "We've got to keep those punks in line. The first step's to identify all the beta testers in the raid party and then we'll watch each of them closely. They won't try anything funny if we're breathing down their necks. A bit of intimidation here and there will also help keep them obedient. Right now, that phoney informant's at the top of my list. A nice little chat should 'convince' her not to screw us over with false info again. Might as well make her spit out the names of the other beta testers while I'm at it!"

_Shit. Oh shit. What do I say to that!?_

My attempt to buy time did more harm than good. Thankfully I was spared from the need to respond.

"You can't be serious," Godfree said exasperatedly. I'd forgotten that he was present until he spoke up. "Listen to yourself man! What kind of self-respecting adult talks about harassing a teenager!? You should be ashamed of yourself."

Kibaou was about to say (shout) something to the scowling man but Lind beat him to it. "Her age doesn't matter Godfree. That informant's a threat to the raid party and it's our responsibility to do something about her."

"Wait a minute. I'm pretty sure Diavel told us to work with the beta testers. He's going to be upset if we start something with them," Liz pointed out. Her words seemed to resonate with Lind; the younger man looked a little hesitant.

The same could not be said for Kibaou. "Diavel's still young. He's an amazing leader and a great guy for trying to see the good in people but trusting the beta testers will only get him a knife in the back. We have to act in his best interests, even if he disagrees with what we're doing."

_His best interests? We're reaching levels of irony that shouldn't be possible._

"Well, isn't that convenient," Asuna scoffed.

"Huh? What'd you say?" Neither Kibaou's glare nor his harsh tone fazed her.

"You call Diavel a good leader but he's too 'young and naïve' when it comes to the things you disagree with. You accuse Argo of lying yet all this time she's been helping people through her strategy guides. And of course the raid party's beta testers are responsible for what happened in the Town of Beginnings; it's not like they had already left that place and were busy clearing the death game! Instead of worrying about others, why don't you fix your narrow worldview and see people for who they are!"

_Whoa. This conversation took one HELL of turn!_

Lind stared at Asuna with his mouth agape and eyes widened. I wonder if he was more surprised by her calling out Kibaou or by the sheer brazenness with which she did so.

From the way Godfree was looking at Asuna, you'd think she was the coolest person in the whole wide world. It was the _'my new friend's actually an A-list celebrity!'_ kind of look.

Liz struggled to keep the edges of her mouth from curling upwards. She turned to the side and faked a sneeze to hide her grin.

Kibaou was outright indignant. "Y-You – how dare you! I will not be talked down to by some dumb brat!"

"Said the person acting like a 'dumb brat'."

_Screw it. This is the best I can come up with._

"OKAY people, take it easy. We're all friends here." I hastily moved in front of Asuna to force the furious man's attention back to me. "Kibaou, Lind, I understand your concerns. Would you mind leaving Argo the informant to me?"

"What're you planning?" Godfree asked with a wary gaze my way.

"I'll keep an eye on Argo. If she does anything suspicious then I'll report it to Diavel directly. With that said, in the spirit of keeping with Diavel's wishes, she will be given the respect a raid party player deserves. Does that sound like a reasonable arrangement?"

Godfree looked unsatisfied but Liz convinced him to stay silent by subtly shaking her head.

"Ha! I knew I could count on you. Good to see someone's got the balls to do what's necessary." Kibaou glared at Asuna and Godfree as he spoke. They responded in kind.

"Try to get the names of the other beta testers out of her if you can. Also, don't hesitate to reach out to us if you need help dealing with the beta testers," Lind added.

"Yes, of course. I will definitely do that."

_Not!_

It had been quite some time since I was involved in such a draining conversation. Godfree waited for the two men to get out of earshot before he spoke. "Hey, I've got to ask: were you serious about keeping tabs on that beta tester girl?"

"No way! Argo's one of my best friends. I was just playing along with them," I confessed. "Lizzy here can vouch for me."

"He's telling the truth. Because of how Kibaou accused Argo after the boss fight, we thought we'd try to get a feel for how the other players view the beta testers. Although it was pretty clear Kibaou and Lind aren't going to change their minds anytime soon … by the way, we'd really appreciate it if you could keep all of this secret."

"Gotcha. I won't tell anyone else," Godfree answered, nodding.

"I didn't expect to be involved in such a stressful conversation. Honestly! I wouldn't have managed to come up with half the stuff I said if you guys didn't step in. As much I wanted to tell them to bugger off, worsening the divisions within the raid party will just make things harder for everyone," I ranted.

"It seems that I've done something unnecessary then," Asuna remarked. She was referring to how she confronted Kibaou earlier.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm pretty sure they needed to hear that. Plus it was really satisfying to watch!" Liz answered with a grin. "Though I wonder how much those guys believe in the stuff they were saying. I can't tell if they're a bunch of scheming opportunists or misguided but well-intentioned people."

I shrugged. "Hard to tell. At least we now have justification for forming a party with Argo and Kirito – not that we need anyone's permission to be with whoever we want."

_Hopefully this will also help to reassure them that it's fine to travel with us._

* * *

Message Log

_From: Clausewitz_

_Text: It's true that there was a group of players who kept some of the safest farming spots to themselves. It's also true that they attacked other people: the hunting group I work with tried to negotiate with them but things quickly turned violent and we were forced to leave._

_I don't recall those players identifying as beta testers. Additionally, according to Diavel both Kibaou and Lind should have already left the Town of Beginnings by then so I'm skeptical about the source of their information. It's quite possible that at least some of those belligerent players were indeed beta testers but it is highly unfair to blame their wrongdoings on other people._

_Then again, they do say that a bad apple will spoil the whole crate._

* * *

Asuna and I kept our distance as Liz gave the [Sturdy Mace] a few practice swings. The storekeeper, who was either a dwarf or a very short man, didn't seem to care that she was waving a lethal object around in his store.

Having bid Godfree farewell we decided to visit one of the city's weapon shops. I was feeling drained from the previous conversation while Liz was starting to look fed up with the large crowd. She'd mentioned wanting a new weapon so this was as good a time as any.

"Yup, I think this suits me better." The flanged weapon rested against Liz's shoulder. She stared at the [Sharp Dagger] in my hand. "Another weapon? You've barely even used that rapier you bought."

"Can't hurt to have a good sidearm right?" I spun the dagger on my index finger. It dropped to the floor. "Admittedly I need to learn how to use this thing first."

"If you don't mind me asking, do you have some sort of history with Diavel? He looked nervous when he saw you," Asuna asked.

"Oh yeah, that was funny. It almost looked like you guys fucked last night and he's still embarrassed about it," Liz remarked with a chuckle.

_Now that's an image._

"Lisbeth! That's vulgar!" Asuna scolded, blushing profusely. Said girl shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't you think the comparison was pretty on point though?"

"I-I wouldn't know about that!"

"Besides, the only vulgar thing tonight was that verbal beatdown you gave Kibaou. On a serious note, thanks for standing up for Argo and the other beta testers."

"Think nothing of it. I was just repaying Argo and Kirito for a debt I owed them. Two, in Argo's case."

"Really? What happened?" I asked. Asuna contemplated my question for a moment.

"On the fourth day – or was it the fifth? There was a rumour about a hidden logout spot in the forest west of the Town of Beginnings. At that time I was desperate enough to bet on such a sketchy story; to nobody's surprise the whole thing was a complete lie. On the way back I met another player who gave me Argo's guidebook and with a bit – well, quite a bit of trial and error I learned to play this game. Albeit indirectly, Argo helped me to get out of wasting away in the safe zone. That's the first debt I owed her."

"Hol' up a minute. So you left the Town of Beginnings all on your own, without having learned the game mechanics no less, to search for this secret logout spot? That's … bold," Liz said.

"I believe the word you're thinking is 'stupid'. I'm not proud of the decisions I made that day." Asuna shot her a wry smile.

"How did you even get past all those monsters?"

"I'm sure you've noticed how the … um, what do you call those townspeople who are controlled by the game system?"

"What do you – oh, you mean the NPCs. That's short for 'non-player characters'."

"Thank you. The NPCs only react if you get close to them so I assumed that the monsters also had a limited detection range as well. I managed to get by keeping a low profile, though a large beetle did chase me at one point."

_She figured out the stealth system intuitively? Looks like we've found the sharpest tool in the shed._

"That player who gave you the guidebook sounded like a nice person. Who were they?" I asked.

"Just some stranger. I … don't believe we'll ever meet again."

" _Oh_. I'm sorry."

"Like I said, he was just a stranger." Asuna's expression did not match her indifferent tone. "He wasn't the only one who had given up. But I couldn't bring myself to end it all like him so I pushed myself to the limit fighting monsters every day. I thought that, when I inevitably fall in battle, at least I could say that I tried my best. At least I could die with dignity. I … why did I give up so easily?"

Her past suicidal self was a stranger to the Asuna of today. Having wallowed in her misery for so long, perhaps this was the first bit of introspection she engaged in.

"You were in a really bad place, weren't you," Liz remarked sympathetically.

"It feels like I've only just understood what those words really mean," Asuna said with a sad sigh. She quickly composed herself. "Let's get back on topic. After some time I reached the Floor 1 Labyrinth. I don't know how much time I spent in that place but the exhaustion finally caught up with me and I collapsed while fighting one of those large kobold creatures. Can you guess what happened next?"

"Two very nosy beta testers decided to steal your prey?" I asked.

"That's one way to put it. They easily defeated the monster that was giving me trouble though I wasn't in the mood to appreciate their skill. I – ugh. I'm ashamed to say this but I said some disgraceful things to them," Asuna lamented. Her expression was a mix of shame and disappointment with a bit of anger sprinkled in.

_Why do I get the feeling that this girl's 'disgraceful things' are actually pretty tame?_

"Ah! So that _was_ you," Liz exclaimed. Asuna and I regarded her with a confused look. "Argo and Kirito were looking into some story about a hooded, rapier-wielding ghost that stalked the labyrinth floors. I think you might've scared a few people."

_I remember now! Argo did mention a "suspicious rumour" of sorts._

"Me, a ghost! Exactly what part of me looks ghostly to you!?"

"You've got pale skin. The dungeon's dim lighting probably didn't do you any favours too," Liz pointed out. "I'm glad those two got to you in time. Asuna, we've only known each other for a day but for what it's worth, we're in this together now so feel free to rely on us. You don't have to go through all this by yourself anymore."

"That's kind of you to say. I don't have much experience working with other players but I'll do my best to cooperate with you two," Asuna said. Her reply felt more diplomatic than genuine which was perfectly understandable. "Also, just so we're clear, I don't intend to do anything self-destructive; that's all in the past."

A comfortable silence followed but it lingered for too long and started to feel awkward. Asuna turned her attention to the weapon rack behind her.

"This is … quite unwieldy." Her arms trembled as she struggled to lift a greatsword despite using both hands. She lacked the required STR stat to wield the large weapon freely. "Although hitting something with this would probably make for good stress relief."

"Then try hitting this," Liz offered as she held up a round shield big enough to cover most of her face and torso.

" … Are you sure?" A mischievous spark glinted in Asuna's eyes. Her reaction was reminiscent of some overly obedient child who had never come close to misbehaving their entire life.

"It's not going to hurt anyone. Go ahead!" Liz encouraged her. Conveniently there were no other patrons in the weapon shop. Asuna hesitated briefly. With all her might she heaved the greatsword overhead but the weight of the weapon made her stumble; as she fought to steady herself the blade caught onto an ornate chandelier and dislodged it from the ceiling.

With a loud crash the weapon store went dark.

An embarrassed Asuna had to pay for the damages.

* * *

The tavern was _absolutely_ packed with people. It was a pleasant surprise to find Klein and Agil chatting like old friends. After a quick round of introductions Klein generously ordered drinks for the three of us.

"Where'd everyone go? Where's Dale?" Liz asked Klein as she sat down.

"Drunk. Of the dead variety."

"H1?"

"He's on a date."

"Really? Good for him!"

"I'm lying. The man's completely wasted. He's sleeping upstairs."

"Oh. Is Dynamm also done for the evening?"

"Yup. He took down a good few pints but then they brought friends."

"You mean he bought their friends. On the other hand you're holding up pretty well." Liz pointed at the oversized mug in his hand.

"Sorry to disappoint but this is just apple juice. Tonight it's my turn to haul the drunk asses back to their rooms which means I had to stay somewhat sober. Anyways, me and Mr Squad Leader over here were just talking about the boss fight so feel free to speak up if anyone's got complaints for the manager."

"I'm trying to get some ideas on what we can do better next time around. It's fine if you guys can't think of any criticisms or suggestions, just hearing your perspectives on how things went down will be plenty helpful," Agil explained. At that moment our drinks arrived. Asuna was disappointed, possibly offended, to see her tea served in a tankard.

"I'm happy to give my account of the Illfang raid but I'd like to stress that my understanding of SAO's gameplay is quite limited," she said.

"That's alright. It's good to hear the opinions of people who view the game differently."

"My group consisted of myself, Lisbeth and the two players who dealt the killing blow to Illfang. As one of the three parties which made up the diversion team we fought off three waves of Ruin Kobold Sentinels. Each sentinel was fairly powerful and their numbers increased with each wave but they only appeared when one of Illfang's health bars were depleted so we had enough time to prepare for them."

Agil listened to her intently. It was encouraging to see him take the conversation seriously.

"The diversion team felt like a gathering of three independent parties rather than a single cohesive unit. There was little cooperation across the parties outside of designating targets for each group. Still, the diversion team succeeded in keeping the boss minions away from the other players so the lack of teamwork didn't matter in the end. Like I said, my understanding of SAO's gameplay is shallow. Perhaps I'm focusing on unimportant details."

"No, no. What you said was completely valid. A bit more communication is always good. I would want to be told if there's a monster in my blind spot or if another party is struggling," Liz said.

"The only way to fix that is for people in the raid party to spend more time with each other. It would help a lot if the different parties started working together every now and then. How about we all register each other as friends?" Agil suggested. "I know most of us haven't met until now but it's on us to get to know one another."

Predictably there were no objections.

Klein let out a startled yelp as a heavy weight pressed down on his shoulder.

"KLEEEIIIINN! Where's my beer? I can't find my beer."

"It's in your stomach you dimwit."

Dynamm stared at Klein with a perplexed expression. Then he burst out laughing.

"Don't be stupid! I can't eat a whole mug you dickhead!" His crass choice of language caused Asuna to go red-faced. Seeing this, Liz leaned over and whispered the same word Dynamm uttered in her ear.

The poor girl's blush intensified.

"You call this being done for the evening?" I said while pointing at our intoxicated friend.

"Apparently not." Klein sighed. "How did you even get down all those stairs man? I thought you were on the verge of passing out."

"Stairs!? I used the window!"

" … Right. I hope you didn't land on anyone. Come on, let's get you back to your room."

"But I still need to find my beer!"

"Dude you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards."

"Ooh, did you say embarrassing? Speaking of embarrassing, remember that time in ninth grade when you were in that speech competition – "

Klein slapped a hand over Dynamm's mouth with enough force to make the rest of us flinch.

"Waitress! Get me your strongest alcohol! I'm sending this man to the shadow realm!"

* * *

** Omake: Self-imposed cage **

His left arm was still intact though he remained convinced that the [Ravenous Wolf] had bitten off a chunk of his flesh.

Attempting to intercept his opponent mid-pounce was a mistake. This time, Uzala crouched down as the creature leapt so that it jumped over him. He spun around and slammed his staff into the lupine monster's spine, the devastating blow reducing it to shimmering fragments.

To think that he used to like wolves.

Using his staff as a walking stick Uzala trudged on. Having ventured deep into the forest he was confident that the rumoured cave was close. There he would find a mysterious portal which served as a hidden logout spot – or so he was told. The people around him dismissed this as baseless hearsay. _"Stay in the Town of Beginnings,"_ they said. " _It's safe here. Just sit tight and wait for help from the outside."_

As if he could stay in that pit of decay any longer.

Even if Aincrad could be conquered (that in itself was a _very_ big if) the road to its peak would be paved by the sacrifices of the fallen. Not rising up to Kayaba's challenge was understandable if not logical, Uzala thought, and he would be a hypocrite were he to fault anyone for making that decision.

The alternative, however, was to rot away in the safe zone waiting for help that would never come. This was a life devoid of purpose; to Uzala, such an empty existence held no value whatsoever.

_If we're doomed either way, I'd rather die with dignity than live such a meaningless life. I'm not going to rot away like all those people –_

Uzala hastily adopted a combat-ready stance. Equipping the [searching] skill was the right decision after all. "I know you're there! Show yourself!"

A hooded, unarmed figure emerged from behind a nearby tree. Uzala might have thought the entity before him a spectre were it not for the green cursor above them. Judging from the direction the player likely came from, judging from the fact that they even came back –

He immediately assumed the worst.

"W-Were you looking for the forest cave with the secret logout spot? Did you find it?" Uzala sounded more desperate than he would have liked.

"I found the cave but there was no logout spot. It was all a lie," came the reply.

"Are you sure? Did you check the place thoroughly? Or maybe you were at the wrong cave?"

"There are no other caves. You're free to keep going and see for yourself if you don't believe me," the stranger responded coolly. "I'm sure that sign in the cave will convince you that I'm telling the truth."

"Wait, what sign?"

"The one with the words 'I lied' written on it."

"Oh. I see … so there was no way out after all." Uzala sat down. His legs had suddenly lost their strength.

_That's it. That's it then. It's all over now._

With a start he looked up to see the hooded player move closer.

"What do you want?" he asked tiredly.

"Please teach me how to fight. I want to end this on my own terms."

From his position he could make out the features of a young teenage girl. Her lifeless eyes no longer looked to the future; surely, her despondent expression was similar to the one he wore.

" … I'm not good enough to teach you. But maybe this will help."

The girl quickly flipped through the guidebook she received. "Won't you need this?"

"Not where I'm going. Good luck figuring stuff out," Uzala said as he stood up and walked away. The girl hesitated, then bowed.

"Thank you. And goodbye."

* * *

Falling from his grasp, the quarterstaff vanished into the sea of clouds below Aincrad.

Uzala had thought about his death on multiple occasions. Back then life was simpler and he was not suicidal; he was merely morbidly curious about the more morbid matters in life. He once wondered who he would think of during his final moments.

It turned out to be some random girl he just met.

Uzala related to her as someone who had also chosen to stray from the path of the living. Yet their means to the same end could not be more different. If all he wanted was a dignified death, surely it would have been more meaningful to go out in a blaze of glory?

It puzzled him. After some thinking he finally realised the reasons behind his choice.

The rustling of grass alerted Uzala to the approaching individual. He watched as a bespectacled teenager drew near with unhurried steps.

"Are you going to jump?" The stranger asked with the casual tone of someone uttering a greeting.

"Yeah, I think so. You?"

"Still thinking about it. Maybe you can help me decide." The young man sat right on the periphery of Floor 1, his legs dangerously dangling over the edge of the steel castle. His deep voice did not match his youthful profile. "So, why do you want to die?

"I … don't, actually." Uzala took a deep breath. "But I'm too afraid to live."

It was all because Uzala was a weak-willed coward.

He lacked the courage to play the death game knowing that he would likely lose. He did not have the willpower to wait in the Town of Beginnings until he was rescued. Dignity had nothing to do with it; he was simply too spineless to move forward, too weak to live with what he had.

Unable to break free from his agonising stagnancy, Uzala was the one who was rotting away. At least the coward's way out would free him from his suffering.

Crying, Uzala poured his heart out to his curious companion. The young man listened to the emotional outburst patiently.

"Our paths in life aren't limited to what we can see. What if I told you that I can show you a third option? I know a way for you to support the front line players without taking the same risks as them. You'll be busier but I'm sure you'll find that preferable to waiting idly in the Town of Beginnings." He responded to Uzala's disbelieving look with a confident smirk (calling that as a smile would be too generous). "Don't believe me? Come see for yourself. I can't guarantee you'll be satisfied with what we have to offer but it's better than nothing."

Uzala wiped his swollen eyes. "You didn't really come here to kill yourself, did you?"

"I said that I was thinking about it. And I did, for a second. Then I dismissed it as a terrible idea."

Uzala was tempted to kick the cheeky teenager off the cliff. Instead they moved away from the edge of Aincrad and gradually made their way back to the Town of Beginnings.

…

"Hey. Your legs are shaking," Uzala pointed out.

"As they should be. I have acrophobia. Also, my name is Clausewitz but you can call me Claws."

"Mine's Uzala. Why were you sitting on the edge of the cliff like that if you're scared of heights?"

"For dramatic effect. Delivery is half the speech after all."

_I was looking for a way out. Instead I ended up with this weirdo._

_… I guess this ain't so bad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> I thought I would have an easier time with this chapter since there weren't any combat scenes. Boy, was I wrong!
> 
> According to canon, Uzala was one of the KOB sub-leaders. I couldn't find much information about him so I decided to just make stuff up.
> 
> Here's to the start of a better year! Have a wonderful day! Or whatever's left of it.


End file.
